The Mirrors of Eyes: The Outcasts
by StoriesOfAnInsomniac
Summary: "I meant that as a compliment, you know," Ari said as he swung his axe. "What I said, telling you to stop trying to be something you're not." "Yeah?" she asked, "Beacuse that sure sounded like an insult." He grinned. "You're different, Hiccup. But you're also just as stubborn a Viking as the rest of us. That's why I gave up the forge job for you. I looked at you, and I saw myself."
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello! _**

**_So this is a new story... Yes, it is a gender swap. I know how some people feel about those. I tired to make this one different, keep to the story line yet make it my own. Plus, it won't just be the movie. Two more stories are to follow..._**

**_Basically, this is just Hiccup as a girl and Astrid as a Boy. I made 'Astird''s name 'Ari', which is a Viking boy name meaning 'Great Eagle', which I thought was ironic and fitting. _**

**_This started out as just an exercise, seeing if I can still capture the general character while at the same time making them my own, but quickly evolved into a full length story because I liked it so much. I'm trying to make Hiccup adorable and just plain cute (although boy Hiccup is cute too...). Ari (Astrid) I wanted to be this more demanding sort of presence. Tall, blond, handsome, and no nonsense. Trying to see how the gender swap would change the feel without changing the storyline. Idk, we'll just see how this goes. Hopefully you guys like it as much as I do. :) _**

**_Enjoy! _**

**_-a sexy line-_**

_Bang. _

_Hiccup's eyes flew open. _

_Bang. "They're headed to the fields!" "Put that fire out!" _

With a gasp, she shot straight up. She knew these sounds all too well. They were being raided.

She threw off the furs on the bed and dressed as quickly as humanly possible, walking toward the door to her room as she did so. She tripped, trying to put her boots on while hopping, and muttered a few colorful words, but scrambled to her feet and continued forward. It was times like these that she especially did not appreciate her clumsy tendencies.

She made it downstairs, heart pounding already due to a mix of fear and excitement, and ran to the door. She heaved the colossal thing open, only to shut it again almost immediately as fire narrowly missed her eyebrows.

Hiccup leaned against the door. "Dragons" she gasped to no one in particular. They were there again, burning their homes and taking their food. They tried their best to fight them off, and were pretty successful. But they always came back, taking more of our livestock, and killing more of them.

So why didn't they leave this miserable, freezing little island called Berk? The answer was simple. They're Vikings. Vikings have stubbornness issues. They were not going to leave just because a few flying, fire breathing beasts came around every few nights and terrorized them, killed them, and ate them out of house and home. No. That would go against all Viking logic.

Hiccup peeked out the door, making sure the coast was somewhat clear, meaning, no dragons in the immediate vicinity, before she made a run for it.

Her long hair flew behind her, along with her too-big fur vest. The green tunic she was wearing slapped against her thighs, and her boots stomped into the ground. She had to get to the forge._ I can make it_, she reassured herself._ I can make it. I can make it. I can-_

Just as she rounded a corner, she ran into the chest of none other than Ari.

"Ow," she groaned, rubbing her face.

"Hiccup," he panted. A deep blush formed on her cheeks, either from had what just happened or the sound of her name on his lips. Probably both. He didn't seem to notice, thankfully. "What are you doing out here? The last thing we need is and angry Stoick. Get to the forge."

She didn't get the chance to remind him that the Chief was always angry, because he quickly ran off toward a flaming house. He was right, though. Other Vikings shouted similar things at her as they ran by. Stoick the Vast would be furious if he found her outside during an attack. He always was. Hiccup tended to get in the way and mess things up. Who knew what he would do this time? She feared the man. They said that before he could walk he tore the head off a full grown dragon. Did she believe this?

Yes. Yes she did.

Speak of the devil, she could see him ahead. Just when she thought she had managed to slip by him, he grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her up, dangling in the air in front of him.

"Hiccup!" her father shouted. Hiccup cringed. "What are you-" he looked around and points at the struggling girl in his grasp, asking surrounding Vikings as if they were responsible. "What is she doing out?" He set her down and pushed her forward. "Get inside!"

She does as he says, running, finally, into her destination.

"Nice of you to join us," Gobber, the blacksmith, and her mentor, greeted. "I thought you got carried off."

"Please," Hiccup responded sarcastically, "I doubt they'd take me. They couldn't handle all this." She gestured to her tiny frame. It was an ongoing joke among all the people of Berk, how small she was. It bothered Hiccup, but she didn't let it show as she contributed to the laughs with sarcasm.

"Well, they need toothpicks, don't they?"

They worked quickly, sharpening, heating, sorting. Vikings tossed their weapons on the counter and Hiccup returned them minutes later. She took a glance outside in the rare moment that no one needed something done and saw the other teens her age putting out that fire Ari had been running toward. Their job was so much cooler. Of course, Hiccup was to remain inside. She wasn't trusted to dump a bucket of water on flames, let alone virtually anything else that involved actually helping or anything to do with dragons at all.

She looked around quickly in search of Gobber and, not seeing him in sight, tried to climb over the counter. But, out of nowhere Gobber appeared and, for the second time that night, Hiccup was grabbed by the back of my collar.

"Oh no you don't," Gobber scolded.

"Oh, come on, let me out!" HIccup pleaded as he set her down within the shop. "Just give me a couple of minutes out there. I'll kill a dragon and my life will get instantly better. My dad will accept me, people won't hate me anymore, and some of the other teens my age will-"

He cut her off. People did that a lot. She had a tendency to ramble. SHe couldn't really help it. Thoughts spilled out of her continuously and she felt it important to voice them. Maybe if she kept talking, someone would actually listen.

"Lass," Gobber sighed, "you and I both know you can't go out there. You wouldn't make it!"

"I made it just fine running here!" she pointed out.

"You can't run forever lass, and runnin' won't kill no dragon. Weapons do that." He started listing things off on his fingers. "You can't lift a hammer, you can't throw an axe, you can't even swing a sword!"

"Alright, I get it!" Hiccup shouted, tired of being reminded of how weak everyone knew her to be. Her eyes lit up, however, as she gestured over to her newest invention. Hiccup was always inventing things. Some successful, most not, but only when it came to weapons. Everything else she had made proved to be useful, though few took note of it.

She moved toward the contraption. "But I don't need those things. This will fight for me!" Right as she touched it, of course, the weapon fired and hit someone in the head, knocking them out.

"See, that right there is what I'm talkin' about." Gobber pointed at her accusingly.

"Mild calibration issue..." she tried to explain.

He continued, "If you want to get out there and fight dragons, you need to stop all..." Both his real and fake hand waved in front of her. "This."

Hiccup frowned. "You just gestured to all of me."

Gobber smiled. "Right. Stop being all of you." He hands her a sword twice her height. "Sword. Sharpen. Now."

She groaned loudly, but did as she was told. _One day_, Hiccup thought to herself. One day she'll get out there. She'll make her mark and kill her first dragon, because that's everything on the island of Berk. Everyone called her a screw-up. A walking disaster. A _Hiccup_. But not for long.

Gobber pat her hair as he walked past and secured a hammer on his fake hand before turning to walk outside. "I'm going out to help." He turned to her as he reached the door. "Stay. Put. Here. You know what I mean." He let out a battle cry and charged into the night.

Hiccup rolled her eyes and smiled. Right. As if that was going to happen.

Hiccup had always been somewhat mischievous, always up to something, but only out of the sheer determination to be the greatest Viking ever. To help her tribe, to kill a dragon, and to make her father proud. Regardless of her reasons, people shouted in protest as she burst out of the forge, pushing her slingshot device in front of her. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be right back!" she shouted over her shoulder. Yeah. Right after she killed a dragon.

She reached the top of the hill and readied the weapon. "Come on," she muttered, "give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at..." A Nadder, a Gronkle, a Hideous Zippleback, a Monstrous Nightmare, anything. Something to get her noticed. Something to stop all the abuse. Something to make her dad proud.

Just then, a screech of a Night Fury pierced the air. The dragon no one had ever seen, the ultimate prize. It happened so fast, Hiccup didn't have time to blink. It fired at a lookout. She aimed. She fired.

She hit it. She had just hit a Night Fury.

She watched it fall down into the forest. "I hit it," she breathed in disbelief. She laughed in glee and jumped around, pumping her fists in the air. "Yes! Yes, I hit it! Guys! Guys! Did anyone see-" she froze as she turned around, coming face-to-face with a Monstrous Nightmare. "Accept for you..." Crap.

With no other choice, she screamed and ran, narrowly escaping his jaws. She heard someone shouting her name in the distance and headed that way. Gobber was right, Hiccup realized in fearful bitterness. She couldn't run forever, and there was no way she could kill the dragon alone, or even at all really.

"Help! Someone!" Though she hated asking, or rather, shouting and begging for it, she need it. She dodged behind a post and held her breath, praying it wouldn't find her, that it would move on._ I guess even Odin himself has given up on me,_ she thought as she felt the hot breath of the Nightmare right before it's lava-like fire exploded around her. Hiccup yelped and covered her head, but was unharmed. As soon as it stopped, a hand grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her into a chest, dragging her to the ground, covering her body completely with his.

Hiccup's face reddened once again as she saw who it is. "Stay down!" Ari hissed. He covered her face with his arm just as she catch a glimpse of her father charging the Nightmare. There was a lot of commotion around them; a dragon roar, some fighting. But she was much too distracted by the ridiculously gorgeous Viking pressing her body to the ground as more fire blew around the two of them. Eventually, he must have decided it was safe enough, and pulled Hiccup to her feet. She opened her mouth to utter something thankful or apologetic and most likely sarcastic, but the words were lost as she watched a bunch of dragons fly off with a sizable amount of the tribe's sheep herd. This, Hiccup guessed, was her fault.

Stoick turned to her, striking fear into her very soul.

"Okay but I hit a Night Fury," Hiccup said quickly. He grabbed her and started pulling her forward. "Ah! Dad please, it's not like the last couple of times. I swear! I really actually hit it! It went down just off Raven Point. Lets get a search party out there and-"

"No Hiccup," he stopped her, "thats enough." He stopped walking and turned to face the small girl. "This has to stop! I cannot keep worrying about you messing things up during every raid. Winter is coming and I have an entire village to feed!"

"Well, between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding..." People around them grasped their middle, obviously offended.

"This isn't a joke, Hiccup! People can die! I need you inside where it is safe!"

"You can't just lock me up for the rest of my life, Dad! I'm a viking! It's an occupational hazard!"

"No Hiccup, not for you." He turned away then, signaling their conversation was over, and looked to Ari. "Take her home. I have her mess to clean up."

Hiccup turned away as well, fuming, and started walking briskly toward her house, not even waiting for Ari. He quickly caught up, however, and stayed just two steps behind her.

As usual, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut shot a few words of ridicule her way, congratulating her on her latest mistake. Fishlegs, the only somewhat decent one, said nothing and avoided her gaze. Ari, per usual, grabbed her arm and steered her away from them, his expression as hard as stone. He was pretty much the same as Fishlegs. He didn't openly make fun of Hiccup, but he didn't stand up for her either. She didn't blame them. She wouldn't stand up for her, either.

She shrugged him off once they got far enough away. "I don't need your help, you know," she said sharply, anger still boiling within her chest. "I'm pretty sure I can make it to my house without burning down the whole village."

He didn't respond, but continued walking with her, also as usual. This happened often, him escorting her home. Her father had to clean everything up while Gobber had to attend to all the weaponry. Most the other teens would probably beat her up, and Fishlegs wouldn't know what to do and probably wouldn't stop her if she ran off. Everyone else was assigned to rebuild of some sort. That left Ari.

He was silent almost the whole way, even when Hiccup started rambling, venting her frustration. That was one of the things she liked most about him. Ari was serious, determined, stubborn, and no-nonsense. But he was also very respectful. He didn't put up with her screw ups any more than the rest of them, but he let her talk, while everyone else would just tell her to shut up. He was patient with her. He listened, even if Hiccup got the feeling that he didn't actually listen.

He surprised her this time, however, by speaking once she had expressed her frustration on how everyone, including her father, treated her like the a mistake, which, actually, could have been argued that she was.

"Believe it or not, Hiccup, people actually care about you."

Quickly getting over the fact that he had spoken, and fighting the blush that threatened to crawl on her cheeks, she scoffed. "Yeah, I'm going to go with the 'not'."

He shot her a look. "Why do you think Stoick wants you inside?"

"So I don't 'Hiccup' everything. Thats why he stuck me in that stupid forge, so the only thing I can hurt is myself."

"I thought you liked the forge," he said softly, thoughtfully. Almost as if he were saying it to himself.

Hiccup sighed. "The forge is fine. But I want to be someone important."

"Everyone is important, Hiccup. As is the forge," he said matter-of-factly.

She groaned in frustration. "I meant someone that my dad can be proud of. But no, instead he got a skinny, weak little screw up."

They had reached her house by this point, and she moved to go inside until he spoke again. "It's not really what you look like that he doesn't like. It's..." he struggled, which also shocked her. This was Ari. The perfect, young, good-looking, fierce, stubborn Viking. He always knew what to say, or most of the time, when to say nothing at all. He scratched the back of his head as he searched for the words. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong ones. "It's what's inside. It's you, Hiccup."

She just stared at him. "Wow, thanks Ari, " she said flatly. He opened his mouth quickly to object, but she didn't let him. "I just, I want to be a fierce, deadly, dragon-killing Viking. Is that too much to ask?"

He just looked at her for a moment, that same stone-like expression on his face. "Maybe you should stop trying to be something you're not," he said finally.

Ouch. That one stung. Hiccup could feel tears springing up in her eyes. Her voice failed her. "I just want to be one of you guys." With that, she entered the house and shut the door firmly behind her.

She leaned against the dark wood, willing the tears to go away. After a few deep breaths, she gained back her composure and pushed herself off the door, busying herself with some random chore. She knew Ari would stick around for a few minutes, because her father would want him to, to make sure that she didn't run off. So she waited, tidying up the place until she was sure he was gone, then beelined it to the back door.

_Now to find that Night Fury._

_**Feel free to review! I accept all comments, good or bad.**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_

_**BTW, updates will be every monday and friday. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**_READ_**

**_Omg guys, I'm a loser. _**

**_Sorry I didn't update. I said it would be every monday and friday, but I didn't take into account finals. Well, now they are done, so posts will be regular again. I'm going to Florida for winterbreak and I'm not sure when I will have wifi, but I'm uploading all my files on my profile and will update if I can. If I can't, I will have a friend do it for me. _**

**_ALSO, IMPORTANT, I realized I did something very stupid... I posted the wrong first chapter. See, origanally, I had started writing this story in first person, present tense in Hiccup's point of view. Well, thats not how I wrote the rest of the story. I wrote the rest of it in third person past tense. I felt that was better because I wanted you to see all aspects of the story rather than just hear Hiccup's voice. This way, you can hear a bit of what Ari is thinking and see the scenes with other characters or from other points of view, and you'll get to hear each character's voice. So anyway, I fixed that, so feel free to go back and take a look. It's pretty much the same, just, you know, less 'I's and more 'she's. _**

**_Well, that's about it. I hope you enjoy the second chapter! _**

_Damn. _

That was _not _what he meant.

Ari stuck around for a few minutes, making sure that Hiccup stayed put. She was known to run off. He grit his teeth in frustration and, in a moment of anger, thrust his axe at nearby tree.

Hiccup always rambled to him like that, venting her frustration on his silent presence. He let her. Who else would let her, anyway?

Most of the time, he didn't speek. This time, however, he was much to angry with her. She had almost been killed, and he had narrowly saved her. He had the burn marks on his shoulders now to prove it. No, this time when she talked, he interupted. She had to know. She couldn't keep talking as if no one cared about her. Maybe he could convince her of this and that she was important in the forge, which in fact was true. Maybe then she would stay inside. But no, Ari had managed to make it worse. He hadn't meant to insult her, but she had taken his words the worng way.

He threw his axe again at another tree. If only Hiccup would just _listen. _She could be an active member of the tribe. She could do her job, in the forge, and be _useful. _But no, she had to make everything difficult. She wanted to be a dragon-slayer.

He couldn't really blame her. Of course she wanted to be that. Who didn't? But that's not who she was. Other people might have made fun of her for it, call her a screw up, but Ari saw what she was good for.

Hiccup was smart. She was so handy in the forge, making durable weapons and things to help them in the war. She saw things that no one else did, which made her understand things no one else did, things even Ari didn't understand.

Hiccup could also be very stupid. She constantly put herself and others in danger. She couldn't just do as she was told. She did things as if it was some sort of game. She didn't think about the consequences of her actions, and that was what was going to get her killed.

He sighed and, deciding he had been there long enough, dislodged his axe from the tree. One thing was for sure; if she didn't get her act together, she really would end up dead, and then she would actually be what everyone called her: _useless._

* * *

"Alright, whoever stays behind has to look after Hiccup."

Hands shot up in the air. "Raise the sail!" "I'm with you Stoick!" "Let us depart!"

Stoick sighed as the Vikings filed out of the great hall to prepare for their search for the Dragon's Nest. "Well," his friend Gobber said, "I'll go pack my undies."

"No," Stoick said, "I need you to stay here and train the new recruits."

"Oh, good. And while I'm doing that, Hiccup can man the forge. Lots of sharp weapons, tons of time to herself... What could possibly go wrong?"

Stoick sighed and sat on the bench next to him. "What am I going to do with her Gobber?" he asked in defeat.

Gobber took one last slug of his drink. "Simple. Put her in training with the others."

Stoick shot him a look. "I'm serious."

Gobber shrugged. "So am I."

"No. Hiccup is not going into Dragon Training."

"And why not?"

Stoick growled in frustration. "Hiccup is... Hiccup is different. She doesn't understand the seriousness of this life. She doesn't listen, she has the attention span of a sparrow... It's like she's in her own world! Ever since she was little! Even when I try to take her fishing she goes searching for, for trolls!"

"Hey, Trolls exist! They steal your socks. But only the left ones... What's with that?" Gobber took note of Stoick's unamused expression and continued. "You can't stop her Stoick. You can only prepare her."

Stoick rubbed his face in his hand. A headache was forming behind his eyeballs and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "She'll die before you let the first dragon out of the ring."

"Come on now, you know I won't let that happen."

Stoick didn't take comfort in his friend's words. How could Gobber guarantee that? Anything could happen in the ring. Though it was rare, some young Vikings didn't make it out of training. "I just don't know if I can do it. What if something happens to her? I just don't think I can let her put herself in harms way like that."

"Well, you better get used to the idea. Better to get her some training than to have her keep running out during the middle of a raid. She's going to get out there again, Stoick. She's probably out there now."

In his heart, Stoick knew Gobber is right. Both about putting Hiccup in training, and the fact that she was probably out running around. Worry settled deep in his stomach.

* * *

Hiccup crossed out yet another mark on the map she drew in her journal. They almost completely covered the page now. In a moment of frustration, she scribbled all over the page and slapped it shut.

"Some people lose their boot or their hammer, but I manage to lose an entire dragon," she muttered to herself.

She continued to stomp around the forest, thinking the dragon must have escaped, when she saw a broken tree. Not like a tree that Ari had been around lately, but like, completely broken in half. She looked further down and see more destroyed foliage. Something big had crashed through there.

Cautiously, she stepped over and around large branches up the small hill. Just as her head clears a boulder, she sunk back down with a yelp.

She had known she hit it. She saw it go down. She had known it was a Night Fury. But she hadn't quite believed it. And yet, there it was, not one hundred feet in front of her. The dragon that no Viking had seen yet every one of them feared, shot down, trapped, by her. She had done it. Mixing in with her fear, excitement poured through her veins. Finally, people would accept her, her father would accept her, and she would be legend. She had shot down the first Night Fury. Now all she had to do was kill it. But that should be easy, right? After all, it was tied up, hopeless.

Slowly, she emerged from behind the boulder once more. The dragon moaned and shifted slightly as she stepped toward it, stopping her. Once the dragon lay motionless once again, she continued. Why was she so hesitant? She had nothing to be afraid of. This creature couldn't hurt her, not like this. Regardless, her hand were shaking as she drew the small blade from her belt. She rounded the dragon, moving toward it's head. Just as she cleared it's massive wing, a large green eye locked with hers.

She gasped and stepped back, falling on her backside roughly. She scrambled to a sitting position, one hand supporting her and the other holding the blade, pointing it at the dragon. The dragon held her gaze all the while, it's expressions shifting. At first, he looked as she had expected, deadly. But then, he looked almost confused, startled as he looked at her. Perhaps, she figured, he was expecting something different. Not this terrified, shaking, small girl in front of him, but a large, brutal Viking. Hiccup cursed herself for looking so weak, and in front of a _dragon _caught in _her _trap. Swallowing, she forced herself to stand and step forward. As she did, the dragon's eyes shifted again, this time to sadness. He knew what was coming. But, unless she was seeing things, it was almost as if the sadness as directed towards her, as if he was sad for _her_, as if he pitied _her._

She shook the thoughts out of her head. No. This was a dragon, a Night Fury. The offspring of lightning and death. Dragons didn't feel things, and definitely not things like pity for Vikings. No. This was a bloodthirsty killer.

Hands still shaking, heart pounding in her chest, Hiccup raised the blade above her head, aiming directly at the dragon's heart. "I'm going to kill you, dragon," her voice faltered as she spoke. "I'm going to cut out your heart and- and take it to my father. I am a Viking." She nodded her head vigorously, assuring herself. "I am a Viking!" she said louder.

Taking a deep breath, ready to drive the blade into the dragon's chest, she gave him what she thought was to be a last glance. She paused. The dragons eyes had shifted again. This time, she saw fear. He let out a low moan, then closed his eyes tightly and rest his head back, offering her his neck. He looked so terrified, just as much so as-

Hiccup's breath caught in her chest. He was just as scared as she was.

She dropped her blade to her side and her body to her knees with a heavy sigh and stared at the dragon. He hadn't moved, his deep breaths steady as he awaited his end. For some reason she couldn't explain, Hiccup felt tears come to her eyes. The dragon's eyes opened and glanced at her, as if wondering what the holdup was.

"I can't kill you," Hiccup whispered. The dragon's eyes shifted back to confusion. "I just can't."

Quickly, before she could change her mind and run away, leaving the helpless dragon there, she lunged forward and began cutting the ropes. She checked around her, making sure no one was watching, not noticing the dragon's eyes widen in surprise. He lay limp, unmoving as she cut through the ropes. But the moment Hiccup cut through the last restraint, he lunged at her.

Hiccup gasped again. The Night Fury had pushed her up against a small boulder and held her down with a massive paw. Hiccup struggled against it for a few seconds before giving up, more tears adding to the ones she had already shed. The dragon's low growl stopped abruptly and his narrowed eyes grew back to large orbs, seemingly surprised at what was happening. He leaned forward slightly and sniffed her at the same time Hiccup raised her arm to wipe her nose.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup choked. She turned her head away. "Do it quick, okay?"

Neither moved for several seconds. HIccup looked back at the dragon, wondering what the holdup was for, to see him in some sort of internal struggle. He shook his head ever so slightly, then looked back in her eyes. Suddenly, he let out a loud roar, leaving her ears ringing, before bonding off in the opposite direction. It looked like he attempted to fly, but he quickly fell back to the forest floor with another roar.

Hiccup forced herself to take deep breaths, trying to make sense of what had just transpired. She had just spared a Night Fury. He had spared her life in return. Both of those actions what completely against everything that the Vikings of Berk believed.

Her head heavy with thought, she forced herself to stand. She turned towards home and started forward, but only made it a few wobbly steps before she fainted.

_**Feal free to review! Those make me happy...**_

_**Next post will be Friday.**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey there lads and lassies...**_

_**So, in short, my whole upload all needed chapters and have someone else post them whilst I was away kind of failed... My apologizes. But now, we are back on track! Updates will resume to Mondays and Fridays.**_

_**Also, just thought I would let you guys in on a little secret... This is actually a three part series. The first is obviously this story, 'The Mirrors of Eyes', which will cover the movie plot + some. There will be several added scenes and more depth in relationship development. The next part will be based more on the book series. It will be called, wait for it, "In the Eye of A Pirate". **_

_**Yeah, kinda gives away some of the plot. It will be great though. **_

_**I won't tell you the title of the third part until part two so, stay tuned! At the end of every chapter I will also have a quote from the next part. **_

_**Now, on to Hiccup's awakening!**_

**~~~~~~~_a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

When Hiccup woke up, the sun was setting. _How long have I been out? _she wondered. It had been afternoon before she fainted, so at least an hour or two. The sun still set pretty early that time of year. But had she really been out for that long? When she moved to get up she discovered the reason for her lengthy nap.

Her head throbbed and she clutched the source. There was a large lump and it felt sticky. She pulled her hand back to see some drying blood on her fingers. She must have hit her head on a rock when she fainted. Good thing the cut wasn't so bad though, or she would have bled out right there. Long, but not deep. The headache was sure to last a while, however. Hiccup groaned at the thought and pain.

Slowly, she forced herself to stand, steadying herself against a tree until the world stopped spinning. The trip back was going to take a while in her current state. She probably wouldn't make it home until dark. So she started forward, moving as fast as she could. Stoick didn't like it of she was out after dark.

She started to feel better after a few minutes, but kept her pace slow once the memories flooded back. The Night Fury. She let it go. He let her go. Both actions were completely unheard of. They we're traitorous. She had betrayed her tribe, and could be exiled should anyone find out. _But they won't, _she assured herself. _No one would know how weak I actually am; even weaker than they say. Completely useless. _

By the time Hiccup neared the forest line, the sun was halfway below the horizon. _Just about the time Ari quits training for the day... _Just as she thought this, she felt a presense behind her and whiped around, instantly regretting it and clutching a trunk next to her.

"What are you doing out here?" the twin Ari's asked, their voices echoing in her ears. She was waiting for there to be one Ari again before she responded, but in that time Ari's expression had shifted from Stoney to a mix of frustration and concern. He brushed her bangs aside to asses the damage. "What happened to you?"

"You're all sweaty..." Hiccup mumbled, brain still working a bit slow.

"I was training," he answered quickly. "You shouldn't be out in the woods alone, Hiccup."

"Right, because I have so many people itching to go for a walk with me or hang out or, gods forbid, talk to me. Please. The only time I'm out in the woods with anyone else is when Ruffnut and Tuffnut tie me to a tree, and they only stay long enough to finish the job." She frowned. "Besides, you were out here alone, and I'm no child. In fact, I'm like, a whole month older than you, aren't I?"

He ignored her rambling and lifted her chin as she spoke, turning her head side to side, then forcing her eyes up to his. She struggled to focus. His quick movements were hard to track. "There could be some internal damage," he concluded. He let go, but grabbed her arm. "Come on, I'll take to the healer."

She shrugged him off. "No, I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all. It doesn't even hurt that bad. I just want to go home and sleep."

His eyes narrowed, unconvinced, but instead of arguing with her like she thought he would, he nodded. "Alright. I'll walk you."

For reasons she couldn't explain in the moment, this just made her more irritated. She glared at him. "I don't need a babysitter. I don't need you to escort me every time I go to my house. I may not be perfect like you but I think I can walk in the woods or around the village or wherever I freaking feel like without someone holding my hand." She turned and started walking, but Ari grabbed her arm again.

"Hiccup, that's not what I-"

Hiccup yanked away. "No! Stop it Ari! You've done enough! Just leave me alone."

She stalked off, unaware that Ari had followed a ways behind. Hiccup was right, she didn't need someone to monitor her every move. But everyone needed someone to look after them now and then. He would do that for Hiccup, like he'd always sort of done. It's not like anyone else was going to.

**~~~~~~~_a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

Opening the massive front door was difficult for Hiccup, as exhaustion had begun its pull. Her father was at the fireplace, but that didn't worry her. The sun had barely set, so she was fine. She moved to the stairs, not saying a word, expecting him to be silent as well. Most of the time they had nothing to say to each other.

She halted midway up the stairs in surprise as her father called her name.

She turned and met his eyes. "I have something to tell you," he said, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

Hiccup sighed. Well, as long as they were having a 'heart to heart', she may as well break it to him that would never be a dragon fighter. In truth, he would probably be relieved. "Yeah, I have something to tell you too, Dad."

They spoke at the same time. "I've decided that I don't want to fight dragons,"Hiccup said, while her father said, "I've decided to put you in dragon training."

"What?" Hiccup gasped.

"Oh," Stoick said, "you go first."

Hiccup descended to stairs and walked closer to him. "No no, you go first," she said nervously, hoping her father didn't say what she thought.

Stoick frowned. "What happened to yer head?"

"What?" Hiccup asked, then remembered that she probably still had blood on her face and a massive bruise. "Oh, never mind that. Just tell me what you're going to say."

He shrugged. "You get yer wish Hiccup. Tomorrow, you start dragon training with the others."

"Oh man, I should have gone first. Dad, I don't want to fight dragons."

He laughed. "Of course you do." He turned around towards the weapons chest.

"Well you see," Hiccup began, "I've been thinking. We have a lot of dragon slayer Vikings. But do we have enough bread making Vikings? Or maybe small house building-"

He cut her off. "Where are yer necklaces? The glass beads. Yer mothers..."

He trailed off. Hiccup blinked. They never mentioned mother. But she shook her head and looked down. Sure enough, a couple of her colorful glass bead necklaces were gone. Her mother's necklaces. The dragon must have torn them off when his paw was pressed to her chest and he bounded away so quickly. Of course, she couldn't tell her father this.

"Uhm..." She cleared her throat, trying to hold back the tears at the loss of some of her last pieces of her mother. "I took them off earlier. See, I was going to climb trees and I didn't want them to..." she trailed off. He stared at her blankly. She sighed. "They're upstairs. Just forget it. Can we, you know, continue?" She circled her hands in front of her, encouraging him to speak.

He shook his head, and suddenly, they were back on track. "Right," he said, setting an axe in her hands. "You'll need this."

"Dad," Hiccup pleaded, "I can't fight dragons."

"But you will fight dragons!"

"No, I'm pretty sure I actually won't."

"Hiccup." His voice was firm, giving her pause. "This is serious."

Yes, it was. Hiccup felt the gravity of that more than he did. She was going to be put in dragon training, something she had recently discovered she couldn't do. She would be mocked and laughed at by Vikings and teens alike after each day's session do to her, well, 'handicap'. Even if she did learn to fight decent, which wouldn't happen, she could never kill a dragon, and she would probably die in that arena because of it. She would bet money in the pool that would surely to open up that she wouldn't survive the first day.

She stared into her father's eyes. So much wisdom there. He was Stoick the Vast. He saw far and wide, was stronger than anyone else she knew, was an excellent battle strategist, and the best Chief Berk had ever known. And yet, he couldn't for the life of him communicate with his child. She pleaded and begged. Sometimes she would cry. But he couldn't see. He never heard her. Never _really _heard her.

"When you carry this axe," he continued, "you carry all of us. That means, you walk like us," he straightened her shoulders, "you talk like us, and you think like us. You are one of us now, Hiccup."

_But I'm not, _Hiccup thought desperately. _I'm not one of you. _Ari was right. She shouldn't try to be something she wasn't. She couldn't kill dragons. She couldn't be what her father wanted. She could never be a Viking.

"And that means, no more of... This."

Hiccup rolled her eyes. "You just gestured to all of me."

Stoick ignored her. "Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided."

"Deal?" he asked again, his voice more firm.

Hiccup sighed. "Deal," she mumbled.

Stoick sighed as well. He turned and picked up a travel sack she hadn't noticed before. "We're goin' in search of the Nest. Gobber will be yer teacher. Should be back before a months time." He started towards the door.

"You're leaving?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. Although it shouldn't have been that surprising. Vikings came and went a lot, and he rarely gave advanced notice.

He nodded, at the door now, pulling it open.

"Wait," Hiccup cried, and ran to him. Despite the facts that they lacked the ability to clearly communicate, largely ignored each other, and were completely different in general, in her opinion, she always hated to see him go. She couldn't stand the thought of losing him. No. Not both her parents. Then she truly would be alone.

She grabbed him and buried her face in his abdomen. He stiffened, as always, but slowly brought his hand up atop her brownish red locks.

"I'll be back," he said. "Probably."

She choked a sad laugh. "And I'll be here," she responded. "Maybe." She griped his tunic tighter. "I love you, daddy."

If they didn't understand anything else about each other, they understood this. They cared for one another. They loved each other. He didn't even have to say anything, and she wasn't hurt by it. He gave her hair two strokes, then walked out the door without another word.

**~~~~~~~_a sexy line~~~~~~~_**

_**Alright, so a little more in depth on Ari's personality. He doesn't quite care for her. In fact, she frustrates him to no end, as he expressed in the previous chapter. But he is all business, all 'Viking', and part of that is taking care of your tribe. Plus, he feels sorry for Hiccup. He takes care of her, even when she doesn't know it, because no one else bothers to.**_

_**And a little in depth view of the father-daughter relationship. Pretty much like the movie, but I just didn't see Stoick and girl-Hiccup walking away from each other so nochelountly. She's a girl. And girls and their fathers tend to be a bit more expressive of emotion. **_

_**Okay! Next post will be Monday. But for now, here is a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one comes from...Hiccup!**_

**"I dunno, I think scars are kind of sexy."**

_**Well, thats all. See you all in a few days!**_

_**As always, feel free to review. Will take all types of comments, positive and constructive. **_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**In hignsight, I realize it would have been better if I had posted this this morning, considering that everyone had the day off and whatnot. Oh well. **_

_**A long chapter, because the last one was not so long. Enjoy :)**_

_**~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~**_

"Welcome to Dragon Training."

Though all of the teens had seen and watched events in the ring, they had never actually been inside it. They'd seen so many battles, blood and death. Now it was their turn.

Most of them stared in awe, save one. Ari walked in with an air of confidence, shoulders back and head held high, his axe strapped securely to his back. "No turning back," he said to himself. He sized up the arena in one full sweep, turning to see every corner. This is what he had been waiting for, training for, most of his life. This was his moment. This was his arena.

Tuffnut whistled as the others check it all out. "Man, this is awesome. I hope I get some awesome burns."

"I'm hoping to get some mauling on my shoulder or my lower back," Ruffnut seconded.

"Yeah," Ari concluded as they stopped in the center, "it's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

"Yeah," Hiccup's voice called from behind, causing them to turn. "Pain. Love it."

Most looked at her in irritation. "Who invited you?" Ruffnut sneered.

Tuffnut shared her expression. "Still riding on the fact that your daddy is the Chief? No other way you could have gotten in."

"Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?" Snotlout asked, earning snickers from Ruff and Tuff. The invisible line had been drawn, and Hiccup stayed a respectful distance behind them.

"If you lads and lassies are quite finished," Gobber cut in, "class is now in session. And remember, the one who does best in training will win the honor of killing thier first dragon in front of the entire village."

"Hiccup alreay killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify her or something?" Snotlout was on a roll. He recived laughes from the others. Ari gave him a forceful shove forward.

"Don't worry," Gobber said to Hiccup. "Yer small and weak. The dragons will think you sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead." He gave her a smile and a pat on the shoulder before walking off.

"Great, thanks," Hiccup mumbled.

"Lets get started," Gobber anounced, turning to the class. "Here are some of the dragons you will be facing." They turned to attention, muscles tense in a mix of excitement, anticipation, and fear. Fishlegs was practically bouncing in place as Gobber began to go over the dragons they would be facing. As Gobber went down the line of cages, introducing the Deadly Nadder, Monstrous Nightmare, the Hideous Zippleback, and Terrible Terror, Legs muttered the statistics of each breed. "Would you stop that?!" Gobber finally shouted. He sighed and placed a hand on the lever for the last cage. "And finally, the Gronkle."

Fishlegs leaned over to Hiccup who had migrated next to him and whispered something about the dragon's armor, but she was much too distracted by Gobber's hand. "Wait," Snotlout cried, "aren't you going to teach us first?" Apparently the rest of the teens had picked up on this recent development as well.

Gobber smiled. Knowing what he would say, Hiccup smiled too. "I believe in learning on the job." This, Hiccup knew. She had the scars on her arms to prove it.

Gobber pulled the lever, and suddenly Hiccup was pulled from reminiscence and thrown into chaos. The Gronkle burst through the doors and the teens scrambled.

Gobber spoke as they ran around. "Today is all about survival. If you get blasted, yer dead. Quick, what's the first thing you need?" Though all of them were questioning his sanity, they shouted their guesses.

"A doctor?" Hiccup cried

"Plus five speed?" came Fishlegs.

"A shield!" Ari answered confidently.

"Correct!" Gobber praised. "Go get yer shields!" As they all ran off toward the armor, he continued. "The shield is your most important piece of equipment. If you have to choose between the sword and the shield, take the shield." Hiccup struggled to pick up her shield. Gobber walked up to her as he was talking and strapped it to her arm, then shoved her forward.

While most grabbed their shields and scrammed, Ruff and Tuff, naturally, started fighting. The pulled back and forth on the same shield.

"Hey! This one is mine!" Ruffnut shouted.

"No way, I was here first!" Tuffnut relented with equal volume. "Take that one over there. It has flowers on it. Girls like flowers."

Ruffnut ripped it from his hands and smacked him over the head. "Oops," cried Ruff sarcastically, "now this one has blood on it."

They continued to fight, Hiccup observing the whole time. As the Gronckle came at them, she thought to warn, but she doubted they would escape in time, and something else stirred in her. They would never save her, would they? Shouldn't she let their own incomitance be their demise? _No, _she thought sharply, _I'm not like them._

She cried out and ran toward them, but either they didn't hear or they paid her no mind. The Gronckle fired and hit their shield, throwing them both to the side. "Ruff, Tuff, yer out!" Gobber announced, then added, "Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it. Throw off a dragon's aim. Who knows how many shots a Gronckle has?"

"Five?" Snotlout tried.

"No, Six!" Fishlegs called out, happy to know the answer to a question.

"Correct! Six; one for each of ya!" Unfortunately, this small amount of praise distracted Fishlegs, and the Gronckle fired and blew the shield off his arm. "Fishlegs, out!"

The Gronckle flew toward Ari, and he somersaulted to avoid it, landing next to Snotlout. "Hey man!" Snotlout greeted. "Nice move! You been practicing that? You know, you should come by sometime and workout. You look like you work out." Ari ignored him and, seeing the Gronckle charge them, jump and cartwheeled away as Snotlout was still talking. Snotlout was blown away by the dragon and Gobber announced he was done.

Ari landed next to Hiccup this time. "So," Hiccup began, "I guess it's just you and me, huh?"

For the first time since the cage had been opened, Ari took his eyes off the dragon. He looked at her. "Not for long if you don't pay attention." He motioned forward with his eyes before sidestepping her and running away.

She looked forward just as Gobber told her to pay attention as well, but it was too late. Hiccup's shield was blown of her arm and started rolling away.

"One shot left!" Gobber announced.

Hiccup chased after her shield. Instead of going after the only Viking left with a shield, the Gronckle chased the running one. Someone called her name. As she turned to see, she was rammed by the dragon. She landed at the wall of the ring and sat against it, pushing herself against it and breathing heavily as the Gronckle closed in. The dragon opened it's mouth, the fire building at the back of it's throat. Hiccup closed her eyes and braced herself. She couldn't help but think that this was the second time she had been at the mercy of a dragon in the past two days. This time, however, she would die. _At least I won the pot, _she thought bitterly as she awaited her end.

But it didn't come. The Gronckle fired, but it didn't hit her. Hiccup opened her eyes to see Gobber's hook in the dragon's jaw and a blacked section of wall not a foot above her head. "And that's six," Gobber concluded. "Go back to bed you overgrown sausage."

Once the dragon was locked up, he turned back to the teens. They had begun to collect themselves and help each other up. No one offered Hiccup a hand, but she didn't mind staying on the ground, still a bit shell-shocked. "You cannot afford to be distracted in battle," Gobber began. "It could cost ya yer life. And remember," he looked pointedly at Hiccup, "a dragon will always, _always, _go for the kill."

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

"So why didn't you?" Hiccup wondered aloud.

She was back in the forest. Immediately after training Hiccup had run off, skipping mandatory group lunch in the Mead Hall. She couldn't help it, somewhat haunted by Gobber's words. Now, she was at the place that she had released the dragon, feeling the ropes between her fingers.

She looked around, searching for what she didn't know until she found it. A scale, black as night. And another one further off.

She followed them and the broken trail the dragon had left in it's weird flying/falling/running thing it had done the previous day. Not that the dragon would be anywhere near. She was sure it was gone. Still, being Hiccup, she followed it curiously.

After a while, just when she was ready to turn back, a cry of a dragon pierced the air. It was close. I could have been any dragon. She really should flee. Anyone else would. _But it could be MY dragon... _

Hiccup shook her head. Her dragon? No. That was ridiculous. Just because she had freed a dragon and he had spared her did not mean that they had any special bond... Right?

"_A dragon will always, always, go for the kill."_

Hiccup pressed forward, toward the dragons cry. She reached a rock ledge with several scales on it. She picked them up, as she had the rest of them along the way, and put them in her pocket. The dragon cried again and her head snapped up. It was very close, just over the rock ledge. She inched forward, her steps careful and silent, and peered over boulder into the cove.

It was him. Now that she got this view of him, moving around and wings free, her breath was taken away. This time not of fear, but because of his beauty. She got out the sketch book she always kept on her person and opened to a clean page. Not terribly large compared to other dragons, it's whole body as dark as night, four legs, and an impressive wing span and tail length. And his eyes, giant green orbs now knit in frustration.

He was doing the same thing as the day before when he let her go. He jumped in the air and flapped his wings, but then came crashing down to the ground seconds later. He seemed to grow tired after a few times and went to the pond, trying to catch some fish.

"Why don't you just... fly away?" Hiccup wondered. She looked at her drawing, then back at the dragon. The drawing. The dragon. No, that wasn't there. She erased on of the fins on the end of his tail with her sleeve. He only had one of those. She looked back at him, seeing his fishing attempt unsuccessful.

Was that why he couldn't fly? The missing fin? Was he stuck down there? It appeared so. Hiccup couldn't think of another reason he would stay in that cove, rather close to the Viking village. Then another question hit her: Was this her fault? Hiccup frowned. Did she injure him when she shot him down? Is that why his flap was missing? He flew just fine before she shot him. She looked back at the drawing and raised her charcoal to write some notes. But the charcoal slipped from her fingers.

Hiccup scrambled, trying to catch it before it fell over the edge. No luck. The charcoal fell over the side, clinking against the rocks. She froze. The dragon heard it. She knew he would.

He looked at the charcoal, then up to where it fell. He spotted her. They held each others gaze, though reactions varied. He did not expect to see her again, Hiccup could tell. Then again, Hiccup didn't think she would ever see him again either. But could he tell? Could he see that she wasn't going to hurt him? That she had no intention to? _Yes, _she thought, _he can. He sees right through me. _

It certainly felt like it. He looked at her in a way that made her feel more vulnerable than she ever had before. He saw right through her. It shook her up inside. So much so that the forced her eyes away, turned, and ran back to the village.

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

When she reached the Mead Hall, she was soaked through. It had started raining halfway back so she didn't break her pace and ran the whole way. It felt good. Running, the one thing she was good at, helped clear her thoughts. But now that she had stopped, now that she had to face the others for group supper, with the dragon's gaze still fresh in her mind, her head had never felt heavier.

No one acknowledged her save Gobber. He gave her a stern look, for missing lunch and being late to supper Hiccup knew, before greeting her. "Ah! Hello there Hiccup! We were just discussing how we did today in the ring." Hiccup acknowledged him with a wave before sitting down at a separate table next to the theirs where someone had laid her out something to eat. "Now, where did Hiccup go wrong?" Hiccup flinched.

"Uh, she showed up?" Ruffnut said.

"She didn't die?" Tuffnut offered.

Ari's comment was a bit more mild. "She doesn't know where to be, or what to do." She wasn't sure if that was meant as an insult, but Ari wasn't one for insults. She glanced at him. He didn't look back.

Gobber nodded. "Right. So Hiccup needs ta work out some navigating of the situation then. Where did Ari go wrong?"

Ari answered this himself. "I mistimed my somersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble."

"Uh, yeah, we noticed," Ruff replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry about it through, man," Snotlout unnecessarily assured him. "It was great! It was so 'Ari'!"

"He's right though," Gobber said. "You need ta be tough on yerselves. Ya need ta know yerself, and know yer enemy better." He pulled out a large book and dropped it on the table. "The Dragon Manual. Read it, learn it, love it." With that, he walked away. "Study hard!"

Tuffnut spit out his drink. "You mean... actually read stuff?"

"While we're still alive?" his sister added.

"Why can't we just kill the stuff the book tells us stuff about?" Snotlout questioned less than intelligently.

"Oh, oh!" cried Fishlegs. "I've read it like, six times! There's this one dragon that shoots boiling water at your face instead of blowing fire! Oh! And there's this other one that-"

"Yup," Ruffnut, one of whom had been staring blankly, cut him off. "Not reading that." She stood up, along with Tuff and Snotlout. "See you sissies in training tomorrow!" They walked out, the twins having started a fight about something. Fishlegs trailed behind them. That left Ari and Hiccup.

Neither moved for several seconds, aside from Ari's eating. He hadn't finished yet, which was probably the only reason he stayed. Unless, she thought, he needed to read the book too.

Quietly, she stood from her table and walked over to him. "So," she said nervously, sitting down sideways on the bench, "I guess we'll uh, share?"

He looked at her. "I've already read it." He nudged it toward her. "Read it all. You need it." Again this sounded like an insult, but she wasn't sure. He took one last drink from his cup and then stood. She heard his steps walking away, but only a few until they stopped.

"I saw what you did today," he said. Her head snapped up and she looked at him. He had stopped and turned to her. As usual, his face was that stoney mask. _Did he know...? _she wondered. Somehow, had he followed her through the forest? Did he know about her-, the Night Fury?

A few beats passed. "You did?" she asked tentatively.

He nodded. "You don't have to look out for them, you know. Ruff, Tuff, and the others, they can take care of themselves. And if they can't and get blasted, well, that's their fault." Hiccup breathed a small sigh of relief. _Oh, that. _"You need to focus on you out there. It's not your responsibility to protect the others. That's their job. Besides," he added, "it's not like they give a crap about you."

Hiccup sighed again, louder this time, and leaned against the table, now sitting backwards on the bench. "Yeah, I know. It's just, well, I guess that's just what I would want someone to do for me. To be there for me, you know, if I needed it."

She lifted her eyes to his. He held her gaze as if processing her words. Finally, after many agonizing seconds, Hiccup swore she saw a shift, him accepting what she said. And was that... was that a smile? A ghost of one, if any, barely turning the corners of his lips. He nodded, as if agreeing with her.

"Ok, Hiccup."

With that, he turned and walked out of the Mead Hall.

When Ari had first heard Hiccup would be in training with them, he was irritated. Was this an attempt to prove everyone wrong, to try and be a great dragon fighter? It was a fatal one, if it was. Hiccup was stubborn, yes, but he didn't think she would do that. There was a good chance she could die. Something changed in her after the raid the other morning.

When he saw her at the arena, his suspicions were confirmed. That was the last place Hiccup wanted to be. She had finally accepted that she had a different role in the war, he thought. Hiccup was aware of how much danger she was in now. It was her father, then, who had forced her into it.

But, perhaps, this wasn't such a bad thing. Now she could actually learn some skill. Now she wouldn't be so defenceless. It would be rough, but she would make it through. He would make sure of that now.

What she had done, trying to save Ruff and Tuff from themselves. Why she had done it. "_I guess that's just what I would want someone to do for me. To be there for me, you know, if I needed it." _

Ari smiled to himself as he neared the home he shared with his mother and brothers. This was an attitude he could understand. He appreciated it. In fact, silently, he praised it. _Okay Hiccup, _he thought. _I'll do that for you._

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

It was quiet when Ari left the Hall. A few stragglers were left, finishing a late dinner. Hiccup waited until everyone was gone, poking at her food all the while. When she was alone, she grabbed the book and moved to fire.

She sat criss cross in front of it, laying the book down in front of her and opening it to the first page. "The Dragon Manual," she read aloud. The dragons were divided into three classes. She started at the beginning, deciding she would read it all tonight.

So many dragons. Many she had seen. Many she knew of. And many she had never even heard of. Each were classified and given statistics on their skills and defences. Each had a different way of killing and torturing. And eating. They were all so different, but they all had one thing in common.

"Kill on sight, kill on sight, kill on sight..." Hiccup muttered as she flipped through the pages. They were all classified as deadly. "_They will always go for the kill..."_

She turned to the last page. Night Fury. No picture. Size unknown. Speed unknown. 'The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself.' Never confront. Never attempt to kill. If you hear it flying, hide. Pray it doesn't find you.

She opened her sketchbook to her drawing of the dragon and set it on top of the bigger book. Her mind reeled. No one had seen a Night Fury. No one but her. She had come face to face. She had touched him. He spared her. This was supposed to be the deadliest of them all, and dragons were always supposed to go for the kill. But he didn't. She didn't kill him, and he didn't kill her.

_Does this mean, _she wondered, _that we don't know everything? _She touched the picture. _What if... What if everything we know about them... is wrong? _

Hiccup closed both books, shutting all those thoughts out for the night. Only one thing was for sure. Tomorrow, right after training, she was going to see that dragon.

**_~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~_**

_**Alrighty folks! Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, let me know, 'cause it makes me happy. :D If you didn't, thats okay too. Let me know what I can work on! **_

_**And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one comes from... Ari!**_

_**"It's what Hiccup would have wanted."**_

_**Ooh... Sketchy, I know. Well, you'll have to find out what he means by reading the next one when I start posting it! **_

_**See ya'll on Friday.**_

_**Write on, guys.**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Wow, long chapter. Almost exactly 4,000 words. I must like you guys or something... :)**_

_**Happy friday!**_

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup and Ari were having a less than stellar time with one another.

They were training with the Deadly Nadder. The whole arena had been set up in a maze. The teens ran, ducked, and hid all over as the dragon searched for them. All except Hiccup. Whatever little heart to heart they had the night before was null. Ari had just about had it with her.

"So, I noticed in the book last night that there wasn't really anything about Night Furys. Is there like, a separate book? A sequel maybe? Is there like, a little Night fury pamphlet?" She was just standing there, talking to who it wasn't certain. She yelped as Ari ran into her just as the Nadder blew fire. She looked at her axe, now only a blackened twig.

"Come on," Ari hissed at her.

"Focus, Hiccup!" Gobber was a broken record, constantly telling Hiccup to pay attention.

She looked up at him in the observation area from the floor of the ring. "Well, I just mean, has anyone actually seen one? Maybe napping or something?" she persisted.

Gobber rubbed between his eyes. "No one's ever seen one an' lived to tell the tale. Now get in there!" Hiccup was still unsatisfied, but she ran as instructed. Fishlegs wasn't far behind, holding his shield up for protection just as the Nadder shot some of the spikes on it's tail.

"Now," Gobber continued, "today is all about ATTACK! Nadders are quick, light on their feet. You need to be quicker and lighter." The teens ran about, in pairs or alone, as the Nadder jumped around on the walls above them. It spotted Ruff and Tuff and jumped to the ground. "Every dragon has a blind spot. Find it, and hide in it."

The dragon came right up to the twins. They pressed against each other front and back right in front of the dragon's nose. Right between the eyes. The dragon, confused, moved side to side, searching for them. They moved with it, remaining unseen. Until, that is, Ruffnut inhaled the scent of her brother, whom was not a believer in 'wash day'.

"Ew. Do you ever bathe?" she complained.

"You don't like it, go find your own blind spot." he shot back.

"How about I give you one?" She hit him upside the head, causing him to turn around and shove her.

The dragon squawked, hearing them, and turned her head to the twins noticed this and screamed as the dragon squawked again and blew fire. They took off in opposite directions.

"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot, not so much" Gobber commentiered.

HIccup stopped running and looked up at him. "Gobber? How would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" The question was hesitant, as she was unsure what his reaction would be.

Gobber's eyebrows furled. "No one's seen one, nor been mad enough to try that. And if they did, once again, they didn't live to tell the tale." He pointed not far from her. "Watch yourself, lass!" The dragon was only a few walls away.

"Hiccup!" Ari hissed from behind her. Him and Snotlout were just around the corner. He motioned for her to get down and behind them. She did. The dragon was on the ground now, right where Hiccup had been, but it's back turned to them.

Ari somersaulted over his shield through the opening, escaping the dragon's notice. Snotlout followed suit a bit less gracefully. Hiccup, however, failed entirely. The shield was too awkward, to heavy, and it didn't want to come with her as she completed the move. She fell flat on her back, her shield still strapped to her arm above her.

Her face reddened, but she hadn't time to dwell on it. The dragon turned. Hiccup scrambled to her feet just as the dragon came to the corner, eyeing all three teens. Ari lifted his axe, but Snotlout stepped in front of him. "I got this," he said casually. He threw his hammer, but missed by several feet. This only angered the Nadder. Ari didn't even bother to glare at him. "The sun was in my eyes!" He heard him cry. The dragon charged toward them, and while Snotlout yelped and collapsed to the ground, Ari was already off.

The Nadder chased him, keeping Ari on his toes. He barely maintained a few feet of lead. He turned sharp around a corner. The dragon slid, giving him a bit more room, but there was no way he could shake the dragon this way. He jumped and grabbed the top of a wall and pulled himself up. The dragon snapped at him and the wall started to tip. Ari jumped to the next wall. The dragon jumped up and followed him, adding to the domino effect that started to take place on the walls.

HIccup, having run the other way, was in an open space, watching as the walls began to tumble. She had no idea what was going on, but all became clear once she saw Ari. The dragon finally tripped over the falling walls and crashed to the ground. Ari was starting to run out of wall to jump to. On the last wall, he planted both feet and jumped as hard as he could. That's when he spotted Hiccup. They both realized the inevitable just before it happened.

Ari rammed right into Hiccup, knocking them both to the ground. A loud 'Oof' came from both parties. Ari took two seconds. He looked at Hiccup. She seemed okay. He regained his surroundings and took a quick breath, then proceeded to pull himself off her.

"Ooh! Love on the battlefield!" taunted Ruffnut. This earned snickers all around.

Hiccup was already blushing madly. At the comment, her blush deepened, and she could have sworn she saw Ari's face turn a subtle shade of pink. They _were _very oddly tangled together. Ari was struggling to separate them. He managed to free most of himself from on top and under her, but his axe was deeply embedded in her shield, which was strapped tightly to her arm.

The dragon was regaining it's feet behind them. He tried to yank the axe free. "Here," she tried helping. "If I... If you could just-" But all words were lost at Ari's next attempt. Not realizing what he was doing, he pressed his hand to her chest in an attempt to help free the axe.

Jaws dropped all around in and out of the arena. If Hiccup wasn't sure that he was blushing earlier, she was sure of it now. Ari never blushed. But now, he was brighter than the scales of a Monstrous Nightmare. Hiccup matched his shade.

Ari turned as the dragon started toward them. There was no time. He ripped the shield from Hiccup's arm and turned just as the Nadder shot some more spikes. The shield protected him, then when the dragon got close enough, Ari slammed the axe/shield combo to the side of the her face. The shield splintered to several pieces. Dazed, the dragon squawked and stumbled away.

Hiccup hadn't moved, still traumatized and hopelessly embarrassed. Ari turned to her, his face still that same shade of red. Except, though still embarrassed, he had anger fueling his flush as well.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you?" he asked, his voice a few levels higher than normal, but not to the point of shouting.

Hiccup didn't think that was very fair. She didn't think this was a joke at all. Plus, _he _was the one who touched _her_. "I-"

He doesn't let her speak. "I mean, Gods Hiccup. I will be there, yes, if you need it. But I won't always be. I _can't _always be. I will be there if you _need _it. But you have to be fighting! And when you're not paying attention, when you're off in a different world, asking about Night Furies or whatever, you get in the way. You put everyone else around you in danger and are a liability in battle, and I will not have that. I will not tolerate it, Hiccup!" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep himself under control. He opened them to meet the teary eyes of Hiccup. At that, his voice softened, but was still firm. "Our parent's war is about to become ours. I suggest you figure out which side you're on."

Hiccup said nothing. As the tears began to fall, she scrambled up and ran out of the ring.

Ari's shoulders fell at the sight. It was harsh, he knew. She needed to hear it, but maybe not like that. He started to say her name, but Gobber came up beside him.

He whistled. "Thats gunna take some fixin', lad." He slapped Ari on the shoulder. "Didn' even apologize for feelin' up the poor lass," he said as he walked away.

_Right, _Ari thought, blushing at the memory._That. _He felt like a jerk for automatically accusing Hiccup of her wrongs without even saying sorry for his.

He heard snickering from behind him. "Yeah so, how was that, Ari?" Tuffnut asked.

"Give us the details, man!" Snotlout said.

Ruffnut gave him a look. "Gross. She's like, your cousin, Snotlout!"

Snotlout shrugged. "Hey, she's got nice jugs."

Ari thought to say something, to defend Hiccup somehow, but Fishlegs beat him to it and shocked them all. "Assholes. Stop talking about Hiccup like that. And leave Ari alone. Leave them both alone."

Ari raised his eyebrows at him. Fishlegs just looked down sheepishly. The others let it die. Some shrugged, and they all walked to the main entrance, but they still struggled to stifle their laughter.

Ari dropped to his knees and slammed his axe into the ground, part in anger and the other trying to get the rest wood and Nadder spikes off it. Something cut into his hand and he pulled it back quickly. A bloody, red line ran across the center of his palm. He wasn't sure what cut it. Hopefully not a Nadder spike. Those were poisonous.

He heard his name called and looked to the entrance the others had gone out. "You coming, pervert?" Tuffnut asked. The others, minus Fishlegs, laughed.

Ari huffed in irritation. He shook his head, picked up his axe, and walked toward the other exit. He needed to clear his head.

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup ran to her house first. She collapsed against the door as soon as she shut it, her shoulders shaking and the tears freely falling from her eyes.

She had never been so embarrassed. Sure, she had failed in front of the entire village before, several times. But this was different. He had violated her. He hadn't even said sorry. He had humiliated her. He talked down to her like she was a child. Like he was her father or something.

Everything in her screamed how unfair it was. How horrible he had treated her. For several minutes, every good opinion she had of him was gone. For several minutes as she cried, he was no better, in fact he was worse, than all the other brutish boys in her tribe. For several minutes, as she cried and cried and cried...

Once her sobs slowed, she started to look at the situation more clearly. From his point of view, even. He was right to be frustrated with her. She had been very distracted. And she had a knack for making any situation more dangerous. She wasn't contributing anything to the exercise, and he had been trying to look out for her the whole time. After their small talk the night before, she hadn't been sure. Had he insulted her? Had he been laughing at her? No, she discovered. He wasn't. He was trying to help. But as he just said, she needed to meet him halfway.

Sure, he had said this poorly. He handled it all poorly. But this was understandable. He was angry, and rightly so. And she couldn't hold it against him. Since when had she ever handled anything but poorly?

She did need to pay more attention. Lives were at stake. But she wasn't the only one that needed to apologize. He had spoken very harshly, and there was the matter of him touching her. It was an accident, but she wouldn't forgive him until he said sorry.

"_Figure out which side you're on." _Hiccup shuddered. What was she doing, going to see this Night Fury? Was she betraying her tribe? It's not like she was siding with the dragons. She was just... _curious. _She needed answers. Something wasn't quite right, and she needed to figure out what.

She wiped her eyes, then stood up to splash water on her face. She had wasted enough time. She needed to get to her Night Fury.

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

She stopped at the docks first to pick up a fish. He had to be hungry, and it didn't look like his fishing attempts were very successful. She grabbed a shield too, just for good measure. Then she began the trek to the cove.

Once she got there she approached the opening cautiously, covering her whole body with the shield. She walked almost to the edge, until her shield got stuck between the two boulders. She tried to pull it free, but quickly gave up. There was no moving it. She huffed in irritation.

She threw the fish into the cove and peered over the shield. She waited. And waited. But the Night Fury didn't show himself. _Maybe he's gone? _she wondered sadly.

Carefully, she climbed down into the cove and picked up the fish. _Where could he be? _She took a few steps and looked all around the cove. _Maybe managed to get out? _Just then, the dragon materialized from behind a large boulder. He had known she was there the whole time, then, and was waiting to see what she would do. The fish had drawn him.

She gasped and instinctively stepped back. She forced herself to freeze however, as he approached her, eyeing the fish. She held it out to him. He stopped. His head low to the ground, he eyed her belt and growled quietly.

Hiccup moved aside her vest to reveal the dagger she carried with her everywhere. Yes, that's what he was upset about. She grabbed the dagger and he growled louder. But, slowly, she pulled it out. He tracked her hand the whole way, then the blade as she dropped it to the ground. Hiccup picked it up with the toe of her boot and tossed it into the water.

His head popped up and his growling ceased. He eyed at her curiously. Then the fish. Her. The fish.

"Go on," she said. He blinked. "It's for you."

A few more beats, then he slowly walked toward her. She held it out for him again. Slowly, he opened his mouth.

Hiccup frowned. "Toothless?" she wondered aloud. "Huh, could have sworn you had-" The dragon's teeth shot out of his gums and he snatched the fish from her hands. "Teeth..."

He swallowed the fish, then looked at her. She chuckled nervously. He got back down on all fours and came toward her again, sniffing her. Hiccup started walking backwards. "Uh, no no." she fell into a sitting position and situated herself against a rock "I'm sorry! I don't have anymore."

He just looked at her. Then he made a weird face, a choking sound, and suddenly half the fish was on Hiccup's lap.

"Okay." Hiccup wrinkled her nose. "That's uh, disgusting." The dragon did a curious, almost human thing. He sat back on his hind legs. He looked like a squatting person. He stared at her. Hiccup sat there awkwardly with the slimy half-fish on her lap. What did he want her to do...? He looked at the fish, then her.

She looked at the fish, then him. "No way," she said. "You want me to-" She looked back at the fish, then at him. He smacked his lips and then licked them. Hiccup breathed a heavy sigh. She had to do it. _Oh well, _she thought. _At least I didn't eat lunch, so it won't be too bad if I get sick. _She took a deep breath and bit into the fish. She made satisfied noises and nodded at the dragon in approval.

The Night Fury swallowed.

Hiccup let out a strained, muffled cry. She swallowed. She shuddered as the fish made it's way to her stomach. No one would ever know about this, she promised herself. She half smiled, half grimaced at the dragon, but her eyes widened at his response.

He tried to mimic her expression. He opened his mouth slightly and curved up the sides of it. His teeth were retracted, so he gave her a wide, shaky, gummy smile. Then he closed his mouth and bounded away.

For a few moments, Hiccup sat there and marveled at what had just occurred. Once again, neither attacked each other. He didn't even threaten her. She fed him, and he actually smiled at her. She had to try more.

She stood up, throwing the fish to the side, and walked toward him. He was building himself a warm spot to rest in. He seemed unfazed but her presence now. But would he let her touch him?

He had curled up and closed his eyes. Hiccup sat next to his tail. She reached out to touch it, but he moved it just before she could. It became a game of sorts. She would try to touch him, he would move away. It went on a few times, until finally he opened his eyes to look at her, in which she turned quickly and walked away as if she hadn't been doing anything. Okay, so maybe he wouldn't let her touch him.

Hiccup decided to wait around for a while. She grabbed herself a stick and sat on a rock. She started to sketch into the ground. She sketched him, the Night Fury, Toothless, carefully. Curious, the dragon came over and sat down next to her. She tensed at his presence, but continued. When she was done, she presented her work to him.

The Night Fury cooed. He bounded off. Hiccup heard a loud snap, then he reappeared with a large tree branch in his mouth. Hiccup watched in amazement as he pressed the branch into the ground and started swirling all around. Once he seemed satisfied, he came and sat back by Hiccup to admire his work.

Hiccup stood and walked around in his drawing. She looked up at him and smiled, which he mimicked. She stepped toward him, but lifted her foot suddenly at his growl. She looked down. She had stepped on one of the lines of his drawing. To test it, she stepped down again. He growled. She lifted her foot. He cooed. She smiled again and stepped over the line. He cooed again. Hiccup began to make her way out of the drawing, stepping over all the lines, turning in circles, until she felt the Night Fury's breath on her neck.

She froze and turned around. He looked in her eyes. He looked unafraid. Comfortable. Even a bit amused. Hiccup couldn't help it. She lifted up her hand to touch him. He growled, but it was soft. Hiccup drew her hand back.

She tried again, this time turning her head away and offered her hand straight out to him. "I won't hurt you, Toothless," she assured him. "I hope that you won't hurt me, either."

She waited what felt like hours, but were only mere seconds. Then, she felt it. He pressed against her palm. She let out a breath of disbelief and looked at him. His eyes were closed, his snout pressed into her hand. It lasted several seconds before he opened his eyes. He pulled away and looked at her, then turned and bounded off, leaving Hiccup awestruck.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup ran back toward the village, this time due to joy. A huge smile was still plastered on her face. She couldn't believe it. Somehow, against all odds and everything that they believed in, she had befriended a dragon, a _Night Fury._She was on a high most of the way home.

She was nearing the village when she heard it, that familiar _thump. _Ari was out training. She stopped and sighed. It was getting dark. He would be done soon. She may as well get it done with now.

She followed the sound of his _thump_s. She found him quickly. He was pulling his axe out of a tree when she came near him, his back turned to her.

She felt like she was facing the Night Fury again. She was afraid. How would he react? Would he be angry? But she had to try. Ari was the closest thing she had to a friend. Okay, so maybe not friend. But at least he somewhat cared whether or not she lived. They respected each other, at least. She wasn't willing to lose that.

"Hey," she called. He stopped. "I uh, have something to say." He pulled out his axe, but didn't turn. She took this as her cue to continue. She took a deep breath, summoning all the courage she had. "You're right. My head isn't where it should be most of the time, and wasn't today. I'm sorry I allowed other thoughts to distract me and that I put you and the others around me in danger. I need to pay more attention, and I'm going to. So, I'm sorry."

Again, he did and said nothing. If anything, he held his head a little lower. "But," she continued, "I'm not the only one who needs to apologize, and I think you know it. I know the others regularly treat me like you did today, but that's not normal. Thats not you, and I want to think you feel bad for it. Plus, you know, you kind of violated me..." she trailed off at that.

Still, he didn't move. He didn't speak. Hiccup grew irritated. "Seriously?" she asked. "I just said I was sorry and you have nothing to say back? You're ignoring me?" Nothing. The threw her hands up. "Fine. I get it. 'Useless' isn't worth your time. I guess I'll just-" She stopped abruptly.

Ari hand made a sound. A very strange one. Something between a groan and a whimper. _Is he mad? _She stepped closer. That's when she noticed the shaking.

Alarmed, she closed the gap between them and placed a hand on one of his trembling shoulders. "Hey, are you-" The words died on her lips as he turned to her. She barely held in a gasp. He was so pale... and the sweat on his face... not from working out, but that of a sick person. His expression was hard, his jaw tight.

He spoke through his teeth. "Help... me..." was all he managed before collapsing in her arms.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Oh dear... Now why would I go and do that? :S**_

_**Like I said, this is going to be slightly different than the movie. There's only going to be two or three chapters where you're goin to be like 'whaaa? that wasn't in the movie!' Don't you fret; all that took place in the movie will happen in here. This is just to stretch things out a bit, add some missing scenes, put in some more relationship development... yeah. **_

**_And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one comes from a character not everyone is familiar with... Alvin the Treacherous! _**

**_"_****How can daddy save ya if he thinks yer dead?"**

_**Well, thats all for now! See ya'll on monday.**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**It be Monday! So... what on earth happened to Ari? Well, lets find out...**_

_**~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

It took everything in Hiccup not to collapse under him.

Ari was dead weight on her and she struggled to hold him up. He was just so _big. _He had to outweigh her by fifty or sixty pounds, and he was at least a half a foot taller than her.

"Okay," she said quickly. "Okay, okay, okay..." She groaned and brought them both to their knees, but still held his upper body up against hers. Her mind reeled. What was she supposed to do? What was wrong with him?He was still shaking at least. That meant he was still alive.

"Ari?" she tired. He flinched at the volume of her voice. She took that as a good sign. "Ari, what happened?" He groaned in response. "Come on, Ari. You gotta help me out here."

He mumbled incoherently, but she caught a few words. "Nadder... training... poisoned..."

Nadder poison. She read about that in the book. It didn't specify the effects of the poison, but the word _death _lingered in the back of her mind. She pushed that thought away for the moment. The healer would know what to do.

"Okay," she said again. "We need to get you up." She struggled to lift him, instantly regretting setting him down at all. "Ari, I need your help with this. We need to get you to the Healer. I can't carry you the whole way, or at all really." She got a moan in response, but then she felt his shaky muscles begin to move. "Good job. Come on, to your feet."

Together they managed to get him on his feet. That is, before he promptly got sick all over their boots.

"That's... disgusting." She shook off one of her boots before she moved the both of them around it. "Okay, the house isn't far. Do you think you can make it? Should I leave you and go get her? Some people to carry you?"

"No..." He shook again, more violent than the last round. "I... can make... it."

_Stubborn boy, _she thought bitterly. He could hardly walk. He ended up just laying most of his weight on her back, one arm wrapped around her gripping her shoulders and the other hanging loosely. He couldn't even carry his axe. She had to do it for him. She really should have called out for someone but, though she was still angry with him, she couldn't intentionally injure his stupid pride.

It took them ten minutes to get there even though, as she said, the house wasn't far. Everyone was in the Mead Hall or in their homes eating, so no one could see them and help. It was dark by then and hard to see. They stumbled a few times. Practically carrying him slowed the process as well. They also had to stop once when he got sick again.

Finally, they made it to the Healer's house. Hiccup kicked the door twice and waited. She heard a familiar sound of arguing before the door was opened. The twins stood on the other side. _Right, _Hiccup thought. _Their mother is the Healer. _

Ruff and Tuff froze at the sight. It just didn't make any sense to them. For one, they were certain Hiccup and Ari weren't speaking to each other at the moment after the 'Nadder Incident', which is what they decided to call it. For another, Ari seemed unconscious or dead, which just didn't compute. And then Hiccup, little Hiccup, was supporting his much larger body with her fishbone-like one. Their slow brains hadn't even thought to ask what was wrong yet.

Hiccup waited for several seconds, but neither moved. "Help?" she finally pleaded. This seemed to snap them back to attention. Quickly, they each grabbed one of Ari's arms and pulled him off Hiccup. Hiccup sighed in relief and forced her trembling legs to follow them into the house.

"Gods, Hiccup. What did you _do _to him?" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"I-"

"It was for the Nadder Incident, wasn't it?" Ruffnut asked. "I don't blame you. I would have killed him too."

"I didn't-"

"And with his own axe, too? Yikes. I mean, I know he touched you but, were you really that upset about it?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Guys, I-"

Ruffnut shot him a look. "You try it, pig. See what happens."

"Well, I'm never touching your disgusting body and, after seeing Ari, I'm never touching Hiccup either."

Hiccup couldn't get a word in. They were leading them to the back of the house where an extension had been built for the Healer's room. Just as they reached the door, the twin's mother came out of it.

"What is goin' on here?" She asked. Hiccup opened her mouth, but was cut off.

"Hiccup killed Ari because he touched her boobs," Tuffnut said. The Healer looked alarmed.

"That's not what happened!" Hiccup cried, a bit louder than she had intended. She spoke quieter. "And he's not dead yet." Ari moaned, confirming her words.

"Well come lass, tell us what's happened. Ruff, Tuff, set him on the dining table. Can't go in the my healing room; there is sickness in there." They did as instructed.

Ari laid flat on his back on the large table. The Healer looked him over as Hiccup spoke. "Well, I'm not entirely sure, but I think he's been poisoned. We fought a Nadder today in training and, well, just a few minutes ago I found him in the woods like this and brought him here."

"And you helped him?" Ruffnut asked in disbelief. "I would have left him there." Tuffnut muttered something about 'girls' and 'ridiculous reactions', earning a punch from Ruffnut.

Their mother ignored them. "You didn't go an' get help?" she asked.

Hiccup shook her head. "He told me not to, said he could make it."

The Healer shook her head as well. "Stubborn boy. Not really surprising that he didn' come to me earlier. No, what's surprising is that he would ask you of all people to help him." Before Hiccup could ponder her statement, she lifted up his hand. "Ah yes, he has been cut by a Nadder spike. Must have been old poison though, or he'd be dead by now. Immediate Nadder wounds have to be treated right away, or else the victim will die." She turned away and reached into a cabinet, pulling out some dressings and a cream of sorts.

She began to dress the wound, washing it with a cloth and then applying the cream. Then she wrapped it with the bandages. "There we are," she said when she was finished. "It will heal soon, save a nice lookin' scar." She reached back into the cabinet before handing something to Hiccup. "Take these herbs and brew him some tea. Force it into him. He'll probably be sick through the night."

"He already has been, twice," Hiccup said before registering what the Healer had said. "Wait, me? Why me? Why can't he stay here?"

The Healer shrugged. "There is sickness here, lass. I must attend to them and he cannot stay with them. His body is weak as it is." She ordered the twins to grab the boy and ushered Hiccup toward the door. "Besides, his mother is gone, and you have no one at home who needs ya either with yer father being gone. He needs a lookin' after, just for the night."

"You're going to leave him in my hands for the whole night?"

"He's not a dragon, lass." Hiccup flinched at the truth of the statement.

They were at the door now. Hiccup opened her mouth to argue, but the Healer wouldn't have it. "Just brew him some tea, lass. Once the poison is mostly out of his body he should sleep soundly. Nadder poison is tricky though. Don't let him get too cold or infection will set in his heart. He'll be better tomorrow with that tea and if he stays warm. Now go." With that, she shut the door.

"Wow," Tuffnut said, "I would hate to be you right now."

"Like I said," came Ruffnut, "should have left him in the woods."

Hiccup sighed. "Let's just go."

_**~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup's house was closer, so they went there. Ruff and Tuff poked fun at Hiccup or argued the whole way. Hiccup was relieved when they got home, happy to soon be rid of them. They brought him up the stairs to Hiccup's room and dropped him onto the bed.

"Well," said Ruffnut, "there you go, Hiccup. Have at him."

"Don't be too rough on him, though," added Tuffnut. "We want him back in one piece." They both broke into a fit of laughter.

Hiccup blushed madly. "Thank you, theres the door." She motioned for them leave. They did, snickering the whole way.

"Alright, alright, we can take a hint," Ruff called as they walked out. Hiccup groaned. She would never hear the end of it.

When they were gone, she took a moment to take in the situation. She looked at Ari. It was an unsettling yet thrilling sight, seeing that gorgeous boy in her bed. She mentally slapped herself. _Sick boy, _she reminded herself. That, and they weren't on the best of terms with one another. He wasn't there by choice. She was sure that if he could, he would walk out in a heartbeat. But there he was, immobile for at least the next twelve hours, and she had to care for him.

She thought about Ruffnut's comment, about leaving him in the woods. But that just wasn't her, she realized. Even if they hated each other, she couldn't just leave him there to be sick in the cold of the night, to possibly die. Sure, she could have gone and sent someone else to help him. No one would have blamed her. But... she found she couldn't do that either. It was technically her fault in the first place. And he needed someone to take care of him, right then. He needed her.

It was then that it struck her how shockingly similar it all was to another huge part of her life at the moment. The Night Fury. In both situations, they didn't like each other, but Hiccup was awestruck by them from a distance. It was discovered that something was off between them, that they were just misunderstanding one another. She was responsible for getting them sick or hurt, and then she helped them. Despite how much they were supposed to hate one another or what others would have done, she helped them. She didn't have the power in her to leave them there or finish them off.

She couldn't quite comprehend it, though she understood the truth of it. Ari was just like her Night Fury. Beautiful, strong, and perfect at what he was supposed to be, just like Toothless. He was supposed to hate her like everyone else, like all the other teens. Toothless was supposed to hate her too. But for some reason, he didn't. Now, it seemed he wasn't sure what to do with her. Just like Toothless. Except now, with Toothless, they had reached some kind of middle ground. They tolerated each other and were sort of friends. They respected one another. _Maybe, _Hiccup thought, _Ari and I could do that to. _She was tired of whatever game they were playing. The half-insults, the somewhat understanding one another, and then being indifferent and distant. That had to end. But first things first.

She went to work. She started a fire and the tea in the small fireplace in her room. She took off Ari's boots, forarm armor, wepons belt and strap. He was still shivering so she threw all the furs she could find on the bed with him. Then she got a bucket and put it by the bed next to him.

When the tea was done, she came over to him with a cup. "Ari," she whispered. He moaned. "Ari, come on. You have to drink this. It will help you feel better."

Ari's eyes opened to slits and he looked at her. His voice was rough as he spoke. "You're a terrible liar."

Hiccup flushed, caught off guard. "I'm not lying."

"No," he responded a few second later. "I guess not. You just... don't know... what you're talking about."

She glared at him. "I get you're sick and all, but I'm really not in the mood to be made fun of. Ruff and Tuff did enough."

He shook his head, a slow movement that looked to make him dizzy. "Not an insult." He looks at the tea. "Supposed to... draw poison out. So... I may... be sick again."

"Oh. Well, just drink it and get it over with then." She helped him take sips.

"Why do you always think I'm insulting you?" he asked between sips.

So he wasn't then. And he knew she thought it. Hiccup shrugged. "Everyone else does. I guess I just kind of expected it. Plus, I can never tell with you. You're hard as a rock."

He shook his head again, a lazy movement. He was growing tired. "I state fact. I don't insult."

Hiccup couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "I guess not. You don't mean to, anyway. You're just impossible to read."

_Is he trying to smile? _She wondered as his pale lips curved up. "I am an... open book. You're just not... looking in the right place." With that, his eyes opened slightly and looked into hers.

_His eyes. _Again, he was like the Night Fury. On the outside, he was strong, intimidating, and frightening. But you could misinterpret it all if you didn't look in his eyes. If she hadn't looked in the eyes of Toothless, she may have actually killed him. If she had looked into Ari's eyes before, she may have noticed that he wasn't actually insulting her.

"Rest," she said finally. "I'll check on you soon. And please don't get sick on my furs. There's a bucket on the floor."

She heard him mumble something like 'no promises' before promptly passing out. Hiccup stood, trying to think what she should busy herself with. She would most likely be up most the night tending to him, and there was no way she was going to crawl in next to him. She could sketch, but she didn't think that would keep her awake. She looked about the room, searching for anything. Her gaze rested on Ari's axe.

It was well worn. It needed to be sharpened, and the handle's leather was not only falling apart but the handle itself was getting too small for his growing, adolescent body. She had been meaning to fix it up for him, whenever he next brought it to the forge. At the moment she had nothing better to do.

She grabbed the axe a a few other tools and sat in front of the fire. She had a long piece of wood that she had already selected to be the replacement for his axe that she had been meaning to take to the forge. She started to carve it smooth and to a size that would comfortably fit his hand. When finished, she replaced the handle. Then she cut out long strips of tough leather and wrapped it around the wood for grip. The process didn't take long at all, so she just started sharpening the blades with stones until her attention was drawn back to Ari.

As predicted, he did get sick again. Thankfully, he got it all in the bucket. She rushed over to him and helped him back on his back.

"Okay, good job. I'll be right back, okay?" She moved for the bucket to clean it.

"I'm so sorry, Hiccup," he muttered in a raw voice.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'd like to think you'd do the same for me so, I'm just going to clean this up."

He grabbed her arm. His eyes took on a sense of urgency, like she had to pay attention or else the world would end. "No," he said more clearly. "Well, that too but, for earlier today. During training. I didn't mean to, you know, to-"

She cut him off. "Shh. It's okay. I forgive you. It was an accident."

He shook his head. "And for my harsh words. I didn't mean to make you cry."

She held his gaze. He was sincere. She nodded. There wasn't much else to say but 'I forgive you' and 'thank you', so she did. He relaxed at that and let go of her arm. "Did you hear my apology earlier, before you passed out on me?" she asked. He gave a single nod. "Am I forgiven?" Nod. She sighed. "Good."

Ari shivered. "Cold..."

"I'll throw some more wood on the fire when I get back." She stood up and grabbed the bucket, avoiding with all her might to look inside it. Before she left, Ari asked if she would open the window. "But you're freezing," she argued.

"I don't care," he said. "I'll never sleep with the smell of my sick in here."

He had a point. She opened it and then left to clean the bucket. When she returned, she threw more wood on the fire, but he was still shaking harder than ever.

The Healer's words whispered in the back of her mind, about keeping him warm or else he'd get infection. What could she do? She had to keep him warm, but he already had all the furs on him and the fire going. He wouldn't let her close the window and frankly she didn't want to close it either with the lingering smell. What to do, what to do...

Her face reddened as she thought of the solution.

She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. It was the only way. It had to be done. No one would know. She ran both hands through her hair. "Okay," she tried to prepare herself. "Okay, okay, okay..."

_I wonder if the Healer knew I would have to do this when she sent him home with me_, she thought bitterly as she walked over to the side of the bed Ari wasn't occupying. She took a deep breath, summoning all the courage she could muster, and slid under the covers.

Ari laid on his side facing her. His eyes opened at her curiously. "What are you doing?" She moved closer to him, closer, until she was pressed against his chest and wrapped an arm around his torso. He froze. "What are you doing?" he repeated, panic clear in his voice.

"Trying to keep you warm," she explained, just as panicked as him. "No one has to know," she went on quickly. "I won't tell anyone, but we have to keep you warm or you'll just get worse."

Several seconds passed and neither of them moved. Hiccup held her breath, waiting for him to shove her off. But he didn't. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ari's muscles started to relax. His arms came around Hiccup's small frame and held her close. His shaking had already started to slow.

"Okay, Hiccup."

_**~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

_**Aw. A little bit of fluff right there. Well, not really. More like an awkward, 'we have to do this so you don't die' sort of thing. If that is a thing. It is here, anyway. It needed to happen for the story's sake, too. Hiccup and Ari have sort of reached this middle ground now so... yay! Next chapter will be a some more of this, and then Toothless! I love Toothless. After that we'll be pretty much back on track.**_

_**Okay, quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate"! This one comes from Ari...**_

_**"Nobody move, or your Captain dies."**_

_**Whoa. You tell them, Ari. **_

_**Btw, all the reviews I have been getting are very much appreciated. They let me know people are actually reading it. Makes me feel good. :D**_

_**See 'yall Friday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Happy Friday!**_

_**Just a little shout-out to my faithful reviewers: You guys rock! Loves! 3**_

_**Alright, so things got a little PG-13 in the last chapter... Lets see how awkward I can make this. :D**_

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

It was dawn when Ari next opened his eyes. Force of habit, he supposed. He always woke with the sun.

He knew he should get up. Things had to be done. He was due at the ring in a few hours. But he didn't want to get up. His head pounded, like he drank way too much mead. His body felt sore and stiff, like if he moved he would regret it. And the bed was so warm and soft. There were many furs on him, but the one in his arms was the best, the most comfortable, that made him want to sleep in.

That was also breathing. Whatever he was holding was alive. Confused, he shifted his head to look down.

Hiccup. It was Hiccup. For some reason his mind was working slow and it took several seconds to process.

His eyes widened. His muscles tensed up. Hiccup stirred slightly at the movement, but she soon shifted and gripped tighter on his shirt, then quickly returned to her deep sleep.

He was sleeping with Hiccup. He had slept with Hiccup. They had slept together last night. But... But why? What exactly happened? They hadn't... They didn't do anything... Right? But then... Why?

His mind was still working slow, but eventually the memories started to catch up. Training. The Nadder poison. He was sick. She carried him to the Healer. He was brought to her house. She took care of him. He... He was cold. So cold.

_"We have to keep you warm."_

She... She kept him warm. She slept with him through the night to keep infection from setting in. As a last resort, she had stopped his shaking with the heat of her body. For someone so small, she was quite the heat source.

_"No one has to know. I won't tell."_

Why would she do that for him? Its not like they were friends, really. And this was before he even got a chance to apologize for his abhorrent behavior. No one would have blamed her if she left him there and called someone else to go help him. And yet she did it herself. She went even further and took care of him through the night, and then kept him warm. She risked her reputation and yet promised not to ruin his.

_"I'd like to think you'd do the same for me."'_

He thought about that first day in training, when she had tried to save Ruff and Tuff. She had no reason to. Plus, they never would have done the same for her.

_"I guess that's just what I would want someone to do for me. To be there for me, you know, if I needed it."_

That's just who she was, then. She did things no one would have expected her to do, nor would have blamed her for not doing. All because that's what she would have wanted someone to do for her. Even though no one would. Hiccup was incapable of being like the way she was treated.

A feeling started to build inside him, like the one he had gotten in the Mead Hall the other night. Understanding. Respect. Praise. He felt this even more so lying there thinking of her words and the previous night's events. There had never been much between the two of them, not since they were children. But now he felt as though they were reconnecting. They were getting to know one another. They were starting to understand.

He made a vow then. He had always sort of watched out for Hiccup. It was in his nature to watch after all in the tribe if they needed it. Plus, no one else bothered with her except Stoick on occasion. Ari made sure she stayed alive. But this was different. He would be there for her. Regardless of feelings or their current standing. He would go out of his way. He would put himself at risk. He would keep her warm though the night if he had to, to keep infection from setting in. He would listen. He would try to understand. He would be her friend.

_"That's just what I would want someone to do for me." _

One corner of his lips turned up. His muscles relaxed. His eyes slowly started to droop closed in exhaustion. He knew they should get up, that he should get up, soon. But he found that he didn't have the strength. He still felt like he had gone through a brawl with Thor himself. But that was okay. They didn't have to get up quite yet, and it would be better if she were first. If he woke her up, she would be embarrassed. Her face would get red and she would stutter. Though it was amusing to see her like that, he knew she would hate it.

He let his eyes fall shut. His thoughts were filled of Hiccup's noble actions. The half smile stayed on his face.

_"That's just what I would want someone to do for me."_

_Okay, Hiccup._

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

_Knock, knock, knock._

Hiccup groaned and snuggled closer to her heat source. Wait. Heat source with a heartbeat. Her eyebrows knit in confusion.

She opened her eyes. Blue. Tunic. Ari's blue tunic. Ari.

Her eyes widened. Ari. She was sleeping with Ari. Her face reddened and she began to panic, but quickly calmed as she remembered what had happened.

She shifted to look at his face. Well, she must have kept him warm enough. He looked a lot better. Not so pale. His face not contorted in pain. She took these as good signs.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Someone was at the door. The Healer, she guessed, to check on them. Or, more likely, Ruff and Tuff to 'see how things went' and probably tease her. Regardless, she had to get up and get it. She had to do it without waking Ari. She didn't want to think about how awkward it would be if she woke him up and they were still holding one another under the furs of her bed.

His grip on her would be difficult to get out of. Slowly, as gently as she could, she started to slip out of his grasp. He only tightened his hold.

Hiccup huffed in irritation. It was all so thrilling, yet all so wrong. In other circumstances, if things were completely different, she would have been happy to stay there forever. But, as it were, she was only in bed with this boy that was hardly even her friend because his life was on the line. And now she needed to get up and get the door without waking him to spare them both from awkwardness and embarrassment. He was making that very difficult.

She grabbed her pillow and forced it between them as she slipped out of his arms. It took time and coaxing, but he finally accepted the pillow as a replacement.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Hiccup threw on her vest and ran to the door of her room. She rushed down the stairs and made it to the front door just as the knocking started for the fourth time. She was relieved to find the Healer on the other side of it.

"Goodness, lass," she said. "Took ya long enough. I thought you both dead. How is he, then?"

Hiccup moved aside to let her in. "He's fine. Better than last night. His skin color is a less frightening shade, at least."

The Healer smiled. "Well that's good to hear. I trust you kept him warm enough, then?"

Hiccup's eyes narrowed at the slight glint in the Healer's. "Yeah. We prevented any kind of infection from setting, trust me."

"Is he upstairs?" She looked to be struggling to maintain a serious face.

Hiccup sighed but let it drop. "Yeah, he's in my room. I have some things to take care of, so I'm going out. You don't need to move him or anything. He can stay until he's ready."

The Healer informed her that Gobber had canceled class for the day in light of Ari's situation. Normally, if a teen was seriously injured or died, class would continue. But because Ari was able to continue, it was decided that they could afford to take the day off. Better that then have Ari miss a day. You needed to be in class everyday to graduate.

They said their goodbyes and Hiccup walked out. It was an hour or so past dawn. The docks had fresh fish around that time, so she headed down there and picked up an assorted basket full. Toothless had only had one fish in the past few days. He was sure to be starving.

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

"Wake up, boy. You've slept quite enough."

Ari groaned in protest. He didn't want to get up. He still felt terrible. Why would she wake him, anyway? He figured she would have slipped out of bed before she did that.

The voice scoffed. "Stubborn as my husband on wash day. Come now, up with ya. I have other patients a lot sicker than you to tend to. Don't be wasten' my time."

That was not Hiccup, his mind processed. Neither was what he was holding. Begrudgingly, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was clutching a pillow in his arms. But, where was Hiccup? Had she left? She was there at one point, he was sure. It hadn't all been a dream or anything, right?

"Sit up, lad. Lets have a look at ya," the Healer said.

Ari sighed, but complied with her demand. Slowly, as fast as his muscles could stand it, he moved into a sitting position against the headboard. He didn't mean to, but another groan escaped him, this time because of the stiffness and pain in his body.

"Ya, ya," the Healer said as she began to poke and prod at him. "Life is tough. Ya get a wee bit of Nadder poison then get tended to by a pretty girl through the night. Can't imagine." Ari rolled his eyes at that. All those on Berk, and Vikings in general, had that unsympathetic, 'suck it up' attitude. Supposedly, it kept them tough. Ari wasn't one to dwell on pain or complain more than anyone else, but he knew that this attitude was to maintain a stupid amount of pride and to avoid any sort of 'uncomfortable' talk, like 'feelings'.

Her words gave him pause, however. So Hiccup had been there. That was clear from the Healer's words. That, and he could see he was in Hiccup's room. The Healer was examining his hand, his chest, eyes, mouth, and ears, but he wasn't paying attention.

He had never actually been in her room before. Sketches and drawings covered the walls. There was a table on the far side of the room that had stacks of books on it, papers spilling out of those and spread all over. He knew that she sketched, he had seen her doing in in her little book before, but he had no idea it was that extensive. She was quite talented. As good, if not better, than the village artist that drew the maps and tapestries. There were many designs of tools and contraptions, some he could recognise and others he hadn't a clue. Dragons. Most he recognized. All but one. A strange looking black one he had never seen before. Perhaps she had made it up.

And then there were people. He could see many of the village, groups and families. There were many of the group their age. He saw himself, Ruff, Tuff, Fishlegs, Snotlout... they were all up there, in the group or alone. Everyone was there. Everyone but Hiccup. There wasn't a single sketch of herself up there. Not even when the group was together. She actually saw herself as everyone else did, then.

The Healer caught his attention again. "Experiencing any chest pain? Pain behind the eyes? Seein' things that aren't there perhaps or havin' strange dreams?"

He frowned. "I... I don't think so." He hadn't, right? He tried to go over the events of the previous night again. He was sure Hiccup took care of him. The last thing he remembered was... was Hiccup keeping him warm. Keeping him alive. That happened, right?

The Healer smiled. "Thats good, then. You'll be fine. Get out and get some air. You'll be sore, but right as rain tomorrow. As it is, Gobber has canceled class so you have the day off. Use it well." He started to get up as she walked toward the door. Putting on his boots and grabbing his armor and weapon belt, he stood up. "Hiccup took good care of ya, she did." With that, the she walked out.

Ari started to make his way out as well, but then remembered his axe. He looked around and spotted it on the floor next to the fireplace. But, it was different. He picked it up. The handle was longer, the leather on it new, and the blade had been sharpened. It felt good, and was definitely better suited to his current size and what he would grow to be. He saw the tools and old handle on the ground.

"_Hiccup took good care of ya, she did."_

_Yeah, _he thought. _She did. _

**_a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

"Toothless!" Hiccup called. She dropped the basket to the cove floor. "Come on out, buddy. I've got more food for you!"

Toothless materialized nearby and approached her cautiously. She opened both sides of her vest to show him that she was weapon free. He perked up and scurried over, sniffing the basket eagerly.

Hiccup giggled. It still amazed her how calm and friendly his demeanor was when he didn't feel threatened. "Alright, here you go." She tipped over the basket, spilling the contents out in front of him. He looked it over and sniffed curiously. "There you go. Salmon, Icelandic Cod, and even a whole smoked eel."

Suddenly, Toothless crouched and growled. Alarmed, Hiccup tried to soothe him. "Whoa, whoa. What's wrong?" He eyed the eel. Cautiously, Hiccup leaned forward and picked it up. Toothless roared. "Okay, okay!" Hiccup quickly threw it out of sight. Toothless calmed and returned his attention to the fish. "Yeah, I'm not a fan of eel, either." It was interesting, though, how he reacted to it. Almost as if he were scared of it. _I wonder if all dragons react like that. _

The dragon seemed completely uncaring and comfortable with her presence now. She made herself comfortable on a boulder while he ate. She climbed atop, sat cross legged in good view of the dragon, and pulled out her sketchbook. In the past few days, she had already drawn many pictures of him. Mostly of his different faces. Skeptical. Growling. Curious. He had so many. This time she drew him with his face stuck in the basket as he searched for more fish. She laughed at the sight.

Lost in her sketching, she hadn't noticed when Toothless circled behind her and looked over her shoulder after finally freeing himself from the basket. He had a paw on each side of her and his head directly over. He cooed at the drawing.

Hiccup jumped and looked up at him. "Good grief. For something so large, you sure are quiet." He huffed, then looked back at the picture again. She held it up for him to see. "It's you," she told him. He cooed in response and hopped slightly. Hiccup smiled and looked back down at the drawing. It was then that something familiar caught her eye.

Beads. Colorful glass beads. Why she hadn't seen them before was lost to her. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been that close to his paws since the day they met. Regardless, there they were; her mother's necklaces tangled between his claws and toes on his paw, the ones he ripped off her when he ran off.

"Hey," she said. She turned around so that she was facing him. She pointed at the necklaces. "That must be pretty uncomfortable." He sat back but kept his paws on the rock. He looked at the necklaces, then back at her. "I can take them off for you." Toothless cocked his head to the side, but didn't move as she reached for his paw. He didn't even flinch when she touched it and lifted it off the rock. Carefully, she untangled the necklaces. She set his paw back down and held the beads in her hand. It was only the ties in the back that had broken free. The knots stayed intact, so the beads remained. Toothless knelt down and sniffed them.

"They were my mother's," she said suddenly. It came out of nowhere. She never talked about her mother. But now, tears were springing to her eyes as she continued. "I hardly remember her. She was killed by a dragon, you know. When I was really little. They were going after some of our goats. She charged at them, but the dragon blew her apart before she even got there."

The tears were freely flowing now. Toothless's face came much closer to hers, alarmed at the sudden distress of the small girl. "You know, I remember this one thing she use to always say. She said, 'It's such a shame we have to fight them. They're such beautiful creatures. Can you imagine, Hiccup, what it would be like to fly with one?'." Hiccup laughed through her tears and reached up to dry her eyes. Toothless was just an inch from her face. She set a hand on his snout. "I wonder If she can see us now."

Toothless pressed into her hand. She stroked him softly. "I don't quite understand it yet," she went on thoughtfully, "but I know we don't have to fight you. Maybe one day we can stop the fighting all together. What do you say, Toothless? Should we try and change the world?" The dragon huffed and pulled back a bit. "Yeah, thought so. It's a nice dream, anyway."

She looked back down at the beads. She was struck by an idea. "Here," she said as she reached back down to his paw and secured both necklaces around his wrist. "Proof that a Viking and a dragon can coexist without killing each other. Maybe, if you ever fly again, someone will see it. That will really throw them off, huh?"

Toothless gazed at the beads curiously, then back at her. A few stray tears were falling down her face and it seemed to still be upsetting him. He sniffed around her face. A large huff blew aside her bangs, revealing what was left of her cut and bruise. He pressed his nose to it.

"Ow," Hiccup quietly exclaimed as she pulled back. The dragon's eyes lit up. Before Hiccup could blink, Toothless leaned forward and licked her forehead.

"Gross." Hiccup tried to smooth down her hair, but she couldn't help but laugh. "Uh, thanks, Toothless." The dragon cooed.

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Oh, Toothless. You curious, slightly vain thing, you. And what about that Healer, huh? Quite mischievous, she is. Kind of like two other people I know... **_

_**Things are going to speed up a little after the next couple of chapters. Kind of like they did in the movie. I think people would get a little bored if I depicted every single fight in the ring and whatnot. Things will just be condensed a bit. **_

_**So, a little preview on the next chapter... More awkwardness, a stare down, some arrows, a sword fight, and a traitorous decision. Sounds fun, right? :D**_

_**And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! The last couple have been pretty serious so lets do a funny one. This one comes from... Ari!**_

**"I knew it. You're just using me for my body."**

_**Gosh. I have way too much fun with witty banter. **_

_**Until Monday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Yikes, Mondays are hard. *tired* *yawn***_

_**But it also means update time! Who's excited? :D Really long chapter, too! It like, 4500 words! I couldn't help myself. I didn't have the heart to split it up into smaller chapters. It wouldn't be fair to you guys. Plus, if I broke it up, it would be really awkwardly set up. This all just seemed to flow better together. **_

_**Lets just get right to it, then! Enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

Ari's plate landed on the table with a 'clink'.

Hiccup looked up at him with a start, then puzzlement as he sat down in the space across from her. She had been the first to arrive at the Mead Hall for lunch. The other teens started filing in. She had sat in her usual spot, the table next to everyone else's. No one had ever sat with her before. Yet, there he sat.

She watched him as he started eating, not even looking at her. _Why on earth...? _Then it hit her. _He must want to talk about last night, make sure I don't say anything._

She couldn't help the blush that formed on her cheeks. She sighed and looked down, poking at her fish. "You don't have to worry, you know. I won't tell anyone. Besides, my reputation is at stake just as much as yours so, that should be insurance enough."

She couldn't see him, but the corner of his mouth turned up again as he looked at her blushing form. That had confirmed it for him. He was replaying it in his mind all morning, wondering if any of it was just a hallucination, an effect of the poison. It had worried him. Now, not only was he sure it had happened, but that the poison hadn't reached his brain either. Hiccup had taken good care of him.

"I'm not worried about that," he said, taking a drink from his cup.

She gave him a doubtful look. "Then why?"

He still didn't meet her gaze, eyes focused on his food as he ate. "Why what?"

"You know what." He took another bite and shrugged. She rolled her eyes. "Why sit here?"

His eyes met hers. He reached behind him and pulled his axe out of it's strap and set it on the table between them. "Did you do this?"

_His axe. _So that's what it was all about. She had fixed it up the night before when she wasn't tending to him. Neither said anything for a while. He stared at her while she stared at the axe. _Is he mad? _she wondered. She lifted her head and opened her mouth to say something, but shut it and turned as something caught her eye. Ari turned as well.

The other teens had gotten their food and were all standing there looking at the two of them. They were lost, unsure of what to do. Ari had sat at Hiccup's table. They never sat there. But they always sat with Ari.

Ari spoke up. "Your food is going to get cold."

This seemed to snap them back. Fishlegs moved first, sitting himself down the bench from Ari. With some grumbling, the others followed. After a silent debate and a shove, Ruffnut was sat next to Hiccup. Tuffnut took the seat next to her while Snotlout took the seat between Ari and Fishlegs.

The table was quiet aside from the sounds of eating, but even that was faint. Hiccup turned her attention to her plate, while Ari kept his on Hiccup. Not noticing, Hiccup continued to pick at her food. She picked up her cup to take a drink.

"So," Snotlout said suddenly, "I heard you and Hiccup slept together last night."

Hiccup nearly spit her drink back out. Instead, she choked on it and tried to disguise it as a cough, though she doubted she fooled anyone by the shade of her cheeks. She looked at Ari. His face was blank. "And where did you hear that?" he asked Snotlout.

He pointed at the twins. "So it's true then? Nice! Score for Ari!"

Snotlout tried to high five him, but Ari ignored it. "I didn't say that."

"But you _did _sleep together," came Tuffnut. "Geez, Ari. Got one touch then you couldn't keep your hands off her."

"Wouldn't that mean you're not a maiden anymore?" asked Fishlegs to Hiccup. He gasped. "How will you be wed? What if Stoick finds out? What if you're-"

Hiccup had her flaming face buried in her hands at this point. She cut him off. "Nothing happened, guys!" she cried, though it was muffled.

"Maybe not," said Ruffnut, "but something did happen. Nadder poison is tricky. If it gets too cold, it can settle in your blood. If it reaches your heart, it can stop it. If it reaches your brain, you'll go crazy. You have to keep the infected warm." She flashed a devious smile. "Body heat is the best way."

Hiccup had never heard Ruffnut say so many words, nor something that knowledgeable. Before she could respond though, Snotlout spoke up. "So wait, you guys just _slept?" _He turned to Ari in disbelief. He gestured at Hiccup. "You slept with that all night and did nothing? No way. I don't believe you."

"Oh for the love of-" Hiccup dropped her hands on the table. "Nothing happened! I lit a fire and put a bunch of furs on him, that's all!"

There was a pause. "Yeah, but where did you sleep?" Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup groaned, her face still flaming, and dropped her head on the table.

"Well we can't trust what you say," Snotlout concluded. "You lied about the Night Fury, so who's to say you're telling the truth now? If we want the truth, we have to ask Ari."

They all turned to him expectantly. He took his time; he finished chewing, then finished his drink. He spared a glance at Hiccup before addressing them, his face blank. "Hiccup is telling the truth. The fire, the furs." He shrugged. "She kept me warm enough."

Hiccup let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. _So he does want to keep it a secret. _Part of her was relieved, yet she couldn't shake the small bit of disappointment that lingered in her chest. Was he really that embarrassed by it? Ashamed? For sleeping with her to keep him warm? She glanced up to find him watching her. She quickly looked away.

Tuffnut shook his head. "Well, that's disappointing."

Snotlout shook his head as well. "I still don't believe it."

Ruffnut shrugged. "I guess we'll find out in a few months. You know, if Hiccup gets all fat. Can't hide that."

"Seriously guys, you got your answer, so drop it," Hiccup pleaded.

They did. Conversation continued as normal for noon meal. Hiccup was generally ignored, but she preferred it that way. She had gotten way more attention that she was used to or comfortable with. She just ate her fish, avoiding anyone's eyes until Snotlout asked something that drew her attention.

He pointed at Ari's axe that was still on the table between him and Hiccup. "That looks nice. Gobber just fix that up for you?"

Ari met Hiccup's eyes. "No," he said. "He didn't."

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

"Come with me."

"Wha-" was all Hiccup could say before Ari steered her away. They had finished in the Mead Hall and were all walking out. Hiccup had lagged behind. Just as she had cleared the doorway, Ari appeared at her side and led her away from the retreating group.

"Where are we going?" she asked after recovering from her abduction.

"To my house," he answered.

Hiccup's mind reeled. "_Why?_"

"I need to grab a few things."

She looked up and studied him. His face was blank, relaxed even. Nothing in his features showed he was angry. _So then... What?_ She couldn't get anything from him. He was in 'Ari mode', then. Business mode. But what were they doing?

They reached the Hofferson house and stepped inside. He left her at the door and walked to the weapons chest. He pulled out a bow and sheath of arrows and threw them over his shoulder, then grabbed two short swords that he latched to his belt.

Hiccup raised her eyebrows. "You planning on going raiding?"

He closed the chest and walked toward her. "They're for training."

They walked out. Hiccup followed him as he headed towards the woods. "You need two swords for training," she stated bluntly.

He looked at her. "You need one, too."

She stopped dead in her tracks. He wanted to train with her? Teach her to use a sword? She hadn't touched a sword in her life except to sharpen it.

Ari noticed and stopped as well. "You coming?" he asked.

_Why? _It's not like she was ever going to kill a dragon, and it was clear to everyone that she was somewhat challenged when it came to fighting. So why would he bother? "Why are you doing this?"

He shrugged. "You should learn how to properly handle a weapon. Besides, that's what I would want someone to do for me, you know, if I needed it. You need it, Hiccup."

_That's what I would want someone to do for me. _Without another thought, she stepped forward and they continued.

"So," she asked as they neared their destination, "I'm going be a sword fighter?"

"Not quite," he responded. "You do need to learn to defend yourself when confronted, and sense an axe or regular sword seemed impractical, I thought a short sword would be best suited for you. But I think direct confrontation is something you want to avoid, plus you have a good eye, so you should learn to handle the bow as well."

He stopped, seeming to decide that they were in a good spot, and set down all the weapons. It was a slow process, and when he was done he stretched out his arms and rolled his shoulders, then turned his neck side to side.

"Maybe you shouldn't be training right now," she said, noticing his stiffness. "It's going to take a couple of days for your body to recover."

A half smile formed on his face. "I'm fine, Hiccup." She rolled her eyes and muttered 'stubborn boy' under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she said quickly.

If she didn't know better, she would have sworn she heard a small chuckle. He turned away from her and reached behind him, freeing his axe and holding it in both hands, looking it over. _Right, _she thought. _We still haven't talked about that. _In one quick movement, he lifted the axe and flung it at a nearby tree. A clean stick.

She sighed. "I'm sorry I messed with your axe," she said. At the same time, however, as Ari went to retrieve his weapon he said, "It feels much better. Thank you."

They caught eyes. "What?" he asked.

"Uh..."

He dislodged his axe and walked toward her. "Did you just apologise?"

The question was almost accusatory. "Uhm... yes?" she answered cautiously, unsure of herself.

He stood in front of her now. "For this?" He gestured to the axe. "Are you serious, Hiccup?"

_So he is angry. _But he wanted more than an apology, it seemed. "Yeah. I'm really sorry, Ari. You see, I was just-" He motioned for her to stop. She did.

"Did you not hear me? I was thanking you, Hiccup." He shook his head slowly. "Why do you always think I'm mad at you? Are you afraid of me?"

Hiccup looked at her boots. "You are pretty intimidating..."

He grabbed her arms. "Look at me, Hiccup." She did, taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. "What makes you think I'm anything like that?"

It took her a moment to answer. "Well, everyone is generally mad at me."

"What makes you think I'm anything like them?"

She paused again, but then narrowed her eyes. "You're Mr. Perfect. Strong, serious, no nonsense. I'm like the definition of nonsense, the biggest joke on Berk, and the most accident-prone, non-Viking anyone has ever heard of. You're supposed to hate me, and insult me, just like everyone else. Just like you did the other morning after the raid."

He grunted in frustration. "You're not _looking, _Hiccup. What did I tell you last night?"

_His eyes._ She looked at them, really looked at them.

"What makes you think I'm anything like that?" he repeated.

Her thoughts immediately went to Toothless. Again, the situation was strikingly similar. Everything she had heard or seen from a distance made her believe that he was deadly, that he would kill her in an instant. But what had she seen in those eyes? What had she seen in the past few days? He wasn't going to kill her unless she tried to kill him. He was harmless. Affectionate, even. And the Ari. From a distance, he seemed to hate her. Things she heard him say, they sounded insulting. But what did she see in his eyes? Frustration, yes. But not anger. Not hate. Not malice or intent to harm, physically or emotionally. Everything she thought she saw, everything she thought she knew about him, was wrong.

He let go of her. "I can be frustrated with you sometimes, believe me, I can. But I don't hate you, and I am _not _a bully." He picked up his axe. "Believe it or not, I'm not always insulting you. Like the other morning, after the raid. I meant that as a compliment, you know." He swung his axe again at the same tree. "What I said, telling you to stop trying to be something you're not."

"Yeah?" she asked. "Because that sure sounded like an insult."

That same half smile grew on his face. "You're different, Hiccup. But you're just as stubborn a Viking as the rest of us. That's why I gave up the forge job for you. I looked at you, and I saw myself."  
"Wait," she said. "You... you used to be in the forge?"

His eyebrows raised in question. "You don't remember?" She shook her head. She didn't. He shrugged. "Thats understandable. It was a long time ago. Eight or nine years. A pretty difficult time for both of us." He retrieved his axe and threw it again while Hiccup processed.

Eight or nine years ago. Right around the time her mother died. Right around the time Ari's father died. Her mother had died during a raid. His father during a search of the Nest soon after.

"We kind of separated after that, you and I," Ari went on. "You were closed off for so long, but so was I. Then, with my father dead, there was no one to teach me to be a fisherman, and we had plenty of those already. But Gobber didn't have an heir, so I was next in line to be Blacksmith. But then, then you started to open up again." He smiled, a sad look. "You wanted to be a dragon fighter so bad. But Stoick wouldn't have it. I think, with Valhallarama's death still so fresh, he couldn't stand the thought of losing you. Plus, it was clear from a young age that you were slightly... different."

Hiccup was trying to keep up, to put all the pieces together. "So, how did I end up in the forge?"

"I looked at you and saw that same thing I felt. That emptiness and burning desire to do something, to somehow cope or avenge our parents. But you weren't allowed to do anything. So I went to the Chief's house one night and convinced him to let you take up the apprenticeship."

'_I looked at you, and I saw myself.' _The idea that he gave up such an opportunity made her head spin. He could have lived comfortably, bought himself a nice bride, and taken care of his mother. Why would he give that up for the Chief's daughter? The image of little six-year-old Ari standing in front of her massive father with determination in his eyes filled her mind. She couldn't believe that Stoick agreed to it. What else was he supposed to grow up to be? She hadn't thought about it before, but he wasn't learning or practising any trade she knew of. "But then what would you do? What are you doing?"

"I told him I would do whatever it took, I would train everyday, to be the best dragon fighter ever. I would be a battle strategist, trainer of new recruits, and right-hand man."

He wanted to be second-in-command, she realized. Normally, that position would be passed to Snotlout once Hiccup was Chieftan since his father, Spitelout, her uncle, was that now. But if Ari surpassed him and took that position, Snotlout could easily be married off to a girl in another tribe just because of his rank. Then again, if Snotlout was named Chief, which seemed more and more likely as the years went on, Ari would be his second in command. A suitor, most likely from another tribe to form some alliance, would be chosen for Hiccup, and she would be the Tribe's Blacksmith.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time, and it kind of was. You got to do something, at least. But i can see you're not happy with it." He eyed the axe again. "You have to admit, though, you are very talented. Better than I probably ever would have been. Thats why it was a compliment, what I had said. You're not a natural-born dragon slayer, but you're an incredible blacksmith. Can't you see how important that is?" She didn't say anything, so he continued. "You made all of our weapons, didn't you? Mine, Snotlout's, the twins..." She nodded numbly, still overwhelmed by all the new information. The side of his mouth turned up. "See? You are anything but 'Useless'."

Hiccup wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. Anger blossomed slowly in her chest. He was the reason she had been stuck in the forge all those years? The reason she had no fighting skills whatsoever? But that quickly faded. It wasn't his fault. He had done her a favor. If she wasn't in the forge she wouldn't have gotten to do anything at all. Her father probably wouldn't have let her do anything else. Plus, it was discovered at a young age that Hiccup was, in fact, different, and possessed no natural skill in fighting or weaponry at all. She was clumsy, accident prone. Not dragon fighting material, physically or mentally, as she recently discovered. Without the forge, where would she be?

She looked up. He had thrown his axe again, perhaps giving her time to process. "I don't know what to say," she said softly, making him pause and look at her.

He shook his head. "You don't have to say anything."

"Thank you," she said anyway. She smiled. He shared it.

"So," she said, a new air of confidence about her, "you don't hate me?" This was clear. He never hated her, as was discovered. He had been looking out for her since they were children.

He swung his axe again. "Can't say that I ever have."

"And you're not mad at me?" He shook his head. "Because I swear to Odin, I didn't tell anyone about last night. I don't know how they found out."

He turned at that. His eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure I believe that," he said. He dislodged his axe and walked toward her again. "You see, that whole insurance thing isn't working for me. Yes, _my_ reputation would be ruined, but _yours_ would only improve."

She flushed in fury and opened her mouth to shoot something back, but stopped as she looked at him. His face was blank. But his eyes, those crystal clear blue eyes, were lit up with humor. They were smiling. Ari had... He had made a joke.

Hiccup choked on a laugh of disbelief. Ari wore what Hiccup declared his trademark smirk, but a laugh escaped him as well. She lightly punched his arm. "Careful, Mr. Hofferson," she said. "I'm the Chief's daughter, you know. You'd be lucky to get with this."

He raised his eyebrows, still smiling. "I don't think many others would share that thought with you Miss Can't-Handle-A-Blade-To-Save-Her-Life." He leaned over and picked up the two short swords. "But maybe we can change that." He placed one in her hands. "And don't worry, Hiccup," he continued. "I know you didn't tell anyone. Ruffnut is to be the next Healer, so she knows more about poison and the healing process than we do." The thought hadn't occurred to her. "Plus, it doesn't matter to me if people know, but if it embarrasses you, I won't tell. I hope, though, that you know how grateful I am for your care. Thank you, Hiccup."

"Of course," she said. "And, uh, thanks."

He mirrored her smile, but then frowned. "What happened to your head?"

The question caught her off guard. "What?"

"Your head," he repeated. He reached forward and moved her bangs aside. "The bruise and cut, they're both gone. Barely even a mark..." He looked at her, then back at her head. "Didn't that just happen the other day?"

She was just as perplexed as he was. It had only happened the other day. The bruise shouldn't even be gone yet. And the cut could have easily left a faint scar. She reached her hand up to touch it. Her skin was smooth. She had no explanation for him. The only thing she could think of was when... when Toothless licked her.

Her mind reeled. Had that done something? Did dragon spit make you... heal faster?

She looked back up at Ari. Of course, she couldn't tell him this. "Uh, I don't know," she said quickly. "Ruff and Tuff's mom gave me some stuff to put on it. Must have done the trick. Plus, I've always been a quick healer."

He studied her and her head for a few more seconds, but eventually let it drop. He shrugged. "Now," he said suddenly, "sword fighting, lesson one."

Hiccup groaned and gave the sword a wary look. "Are we really doing this?"

"Yup," he answered, before a glint of movement caught the corner of Hiccup's vision. On instinct, she raised the sword above her in a flash. It came in contact with Ari's, blocking it from coming down on her.

Heart racing, she gasped, "Are you insane?"

He smirked. "I believe in learning on the job," he said, quoting their questionably sane dragon fighting trainer. "Again."

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup spared a glance at Ari through the flames.

The whole group was there, cooking their dinner over the fire at one of the Lookouts. Gobber was telling the story of how he lost his hand and leg, a story Hiccup had heard a number of times. She wasn't listening, her thoughts elsewhere.

Ari wasn't looking at her, focused on evenly roasting his chicken. So much had changed between the two of them in the past two days. A few days before they had been completely indifferent of each other. But now, now they understood one another. To a point, at least. Now, they were friends. She actually had one of those, someone that wouldn't look down on or make fun of her, and it made her feel warm inside

_I guess sleeping with someone really changes your relationship with them, _she thought humorously with a smile.

Ari's thoughts were away from the group as well. He looked at Hiccup roasting her fish. He wondered what she was smiling about.

He was glad that they were, finally, on the same page. For so long she hadn't understood. Neither of them did. But now she knew. She knew that he didn't hate her, that he was looking out for her, that he wanted to help her. She wasn't alone anymore, that he would make sure of. He would help her in becoming the best she could be.

His attention was drawn back to the group as Fishlegs spoke. "Isn't it weird to think that if, when your hand was in the dragon and you could still control it, you could like, mess it up inside?"

"I swear, I'm so angry right now," Snotlout growled at his chicken. "I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot, Gobber. I'll cut off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my _face_."

"Ah," said Gobber, "but it's the wings an' the tails you want to go fer. A downed dragon is a dead dragon."

Hiccup's breath caught in her throat. That had caught her attention. Did that mean that... Toothless? Toothless would die?

Toothless was grounded, and it was her fault. He would die if he didn't fly, which made sense. Dragons were meant to fly, it was in their make-up. And even if he could survive on the ground, there was no way he would survive the winter. The lake would freeze up, cutting off any chance of getting food himself, and she couldn't haul food out to him everyday, and maybe not at all in the winter. Food was less available then, and getting it out to him would be nearly impossible with all the snow.

No. She couldn't let that happen. Somehow, her and that dragon were connected. She couldn't let him die. There had to be a way. There had to be-

The gears in her head turned until they stopped on an idea. _What if... What if I could rebuild his fin?_

She couldn't waste time. She had to get to work. She set her fish down on her seat and slipped out, breaking to a full sprint to the forge.

Gobber had continued talking, telling them of what class would hold for the days to come, and then reminded them of the prize for placing first in training.

"It's going to be me," Tuffnut said confidently. "It's my destiny. See?"

Fishlegs gasped. "Your mom let you get a tattoo?"

"It's not a tattoo, its a birthmark!"

"Uh, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that has never been there before," said Ruffnut.

"Sure it has," said Tuffnut. "You just haven't seen me from this side before."

Ari looked up in hopes of catching amused eyes with Hiccup, only to find her gone, her fish left behind. Alarmed, he stood up and looked down the stairs. She was nowhere in sight.

He thought of going to look for her, but decided against it. Hiccup was a big girl, and she was in the safety of the village. Hiccup was also known to run off without any sort of notice. Still, he thought she'd at least have said goodnight.

He sat back down, a shadow of disappointment hovering over him. _Oh well, _he thought. That's just who Hiccup was. Some things never do change.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup worked halfway through the night.

She went to her little workshop off the forge. She pulled down an overhead view drawing of Toothless and set it down on her desk. Where he was missing his fin, she drew one in. She would help him fly again, no matter what.

She weighed, she measured, she melted and molded. She sweat in the heat of the shop. Her muscles ached in protest due to the workout earlier. But she didn't stop. When Hiccup was working on a project, she shut everything out, and time meant nothing to her. Hours would pass before she noticed any time had gone by at all. The side effect of such a habit was a long day to follow, but generally the results were well worth it.

In the very early hours of the morning, she held out the finished product in front of her. A replica of his other fin, made of leather and metal. She looked over at a sketch of the dragon, one of him moving gracefully through the air.

_You will fly again, Toothless, _she thought as she folded up the finished fin. _I promise. _

_**~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

_**Aw yeah. Theres gunna be some flyin'! :D**_

_**So a little look in on Viking way of life up there. technically, they could all be married at this point, since the earliest Vikings got married was like 13 or 14, but I really don't have the heart to do that, or make them like, 12 in this story. They are like 15, and they can all wait until they are 16 or 17 to get married. Even that bothers me, but I will deal... Vikings grew up really fast. **_

_**Were Ari and Hiccup, *gasp*, flirting?! Sure seemed like it, huh? Haha, enjoy it while it lasts, Ari. That's all you get for a while. **_

_**And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! Another funny one, because I love those. This one comes from... Ruffnut!**_

**"Pucker up, big boy."**

_**Oh, I crack myself up. :) **_

_**Until Friday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Happy Friday!**_

_**Long chapter! 4,000 words, 'cause I like ya'll.**_

_**So, Hiccup has built a fin for Toothless. Do I smell a first flight coming? :D Lets find out! **_

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

The doors of the Zippleback cage flew open. A thick, green fog seeped in and soon filled the arena.

"Today is about teamwork," Gobber explained as the teens readied their buckets of water. "Now, a wet dragon head can't light it's flame. A Zippleback is _extra_tricky. One head blows the gas, the other lights it. Your job is to know which one is which."

They were oddly paired. Snotlout and Tuffnut. Fishlegs and Ari. Ruffnut and Hiccup. They pressed against each other, back to back. The pairs were separated, unable to see the others through the gas. They couldn't see the dragon heads either, but could only hear the ominous clicks and growls that seemed to come from every direction..

"The venom of a Zippleback, injected by its teeth, into the victim for predigestion..." Fishlegs muttered to no one in particular.

Ari couldn't stand it. "Would you stop that?" he finally hissed.

Snotlout, as per usual, was talking less than intelligently. "If that dragon shows either of its faces, I'm gunna-" he spotted a shape through the green. "There!"

Both him and Tuffnut threw their water in the direction of the shape, right on Ruffnut and Hiccup.

"Hey!" Ruffnut exclaimed. "It's us you idiots!"

"Oh," said Tuffnut. He smiled deviously and pointed at them. "Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon!"

"Not that there's anything wrong with a... dragoness figure..." Snotlout said quickly, gesturing with his hand.

Hiccup, fuming, had just about had enough of Snotlout. She was done with him. Done with his abuse. His insults. His vulgar and inappropriate comments. He was her cousin for Thor's sake! And she was too tired from staying up all night, too on edge. Hiccup did something very out of character.

Just as Ruffnut threw her bucket at her brother's head, Hiccup strode up to Snotlout and punched him square in the nose, knocking him off his feet.

There was a surprised bark of a laugh behind them. Hiccup turned to see Ari bent over, his hands on his knees and his shoulders shaking. Hiccup managed a smile, but was too distracted by her throbbing hand to share in his enjoyment as much. She shook it violently. It had hurt way more than she had expected. Then again, she had never punched anyone before. She was still in a bit of a shock at what she had done, as we're the others around her. Aside from Ari, they all stared at her with wide eyes.

After several more seconds, laughter slowly started to build in Gobber as well, and then Ruffnut shortly after. Had they kept going, Tuffnut and Fishlegs might have joined in. But all laughter ceased when Tuffnut was caught by a dragon head and pulled back into the fog.

Ruffnut immediately lunged forward toward the cries of her brother, but Ari came up beside them and stopped her. "No, wait," he said.

Tuffnut came running out of the fog, shouting, "Oh, I'm hurt! I am very much hurt!"

Ari held his bucket up, ready to douse the dragon. He didn't get the chance. The massive dragon's tail came flying low to the ground and knock both him and Ruffnut off their feet. Ari lost hold of his bucket and the water dumped on the ground.

Hiccup and Fishlegs were the only ones left. "Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now," a panicked Fishlegs stated.

They stood side by side. Suddenly, one of the Zippleback's snake-like heads appeared out of the fog and slithered its way right in front of Fishlegs. With shaking hands, the large boy thrust the water all over the dragon's head. The dragon huffed, but then breathed out gas with a growl.

"Wrong head..." said the boy, right before he screamed as the dragon roared and blew its gas.

"Fishlegs!" Gobber cried as the boy ran.

Hiccup clutched her bucket as the head made its way toward her, the other appearing from the other side and circling around her until they both faced her together. One had gas seeping through its teeth, the other cracking with small lightning bolts in its mouth. That was the one she needed to wet.

"Now, Hiccup!" said Gobber.

With all the strength she could muster, Hiccup tossed the water up toward the dragon's head.

It missed by several feet.

"Oh, come on!" Hiccup groaned as the water fell back to the ground in front of her. The heads charged at her with a roar and she fell back.

"Hiccup!" Gobber and Ari cried at the same time as they ran to her rescue. But then they stopped. They all did.

"Back!" Hiccup commanded the dragon as she got to her feet. The dragon backed up in fear. Hiccup held her hands in front of her, pushing the dragon back with an invisible force. They all watched in astonishment as Hiccup seemingly ushered the dragon into its cage without even touching it.

"That's right. You get in there. Stay! Now think about what you've done." Escaping everyone's notice, she pulled out the black and yellow striped eel from her vest and tossed it in the cage. The Zippleback cowered in the corner as far away from it as it could get. Hiccup closed the doors, then turned to the group.

They looked like statues. Frozen, wide eyed, shocked. The only movement was when Fishlegs dropped his bucket. What had just transpired didn't compute. Hiccup had... she did what? Forced a Zippleback into its cage with her bare hands and came away unscathed? Hardly anyone came away unharmed after a fight with the two headed creature. And yet, somehow, Hiccup did?

Hiccup stood there awkwardly for a moment. Then, it was all she could do to contain her laughter. All she had wanted to see was if other dragons were afraid of the eel as much as Toothless was. But now it seemed as though she had done the impossible, something no Viking had ever done. She had controlled a dragon with her bare hands, not even touching the short sword she now kept strapped to her belt.

And their _faces. _Priceless. Most of them open mouthed, eyes huge in wonder. Snotlout was clutching his reddened nose, his face lit with confusion. Even Ari, his features usually blank, had a slightly slack jaw as he stared.

"Okay," she said finally, clapping her hands together. "So... Is that it? Cause I've got some things I need to... Yeah. See you tomorrow!"

They all watched as she left the arena, but still no one moved. Hiccup ran, just in case anyone decided to follow her to ask about what in the name of Odin just happened. She didn't have time for that, nor had she thought of a believable explanation yet. She needed to get fish. She needed to get to Toothless. Today, he was going to fly.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

"Okay buddy, here you go. I hope you're hungry." Hiccup pushed over the basket and dumped the fish in front of the excited dragon. "And no eels this time."

Toothless wiggled and cooed, then dug in. Once his attention was locked, Hiccup started to circle around him toward his tail. "Okay, good boy. You just keep doing that... I'll just be over here... Minding my own business..."

Toothless paid her no mind. She knelt at the end of his tail a set her makeshift fin next to it. Toothless shifted his tail away. She moved it closer. He moved further away.

It was like earlier that week, when she had been trying to touch him for the first time. "Come on," she said as she grabbed his tail, "stop moving!" It was a tug-of-war, but his tail was much stronger than her. She huffed in irritation and threw a leg over the tail, sitting on it. That kept him in place long enough. She pulled the fin back to him and started buckling the straps.

Toothless had his head in the basket again, but he froze as he felt the fin being attached to him. The basket fell from his face, and he moved around his body and tail a bit. He flexed his remaining tail fin. The clever dragon's wings and jaw dropped in realization. He slowly began to extend his wings.

Hiccup finished securing the fin and sat back to admire her work. She mumbled to herself, "There. Not so bad. It works. Maybe I could-" She yelped and latched on to Toothless's tail as he lunged forward and into the air, taking Hiccup with him.

Hiccup squeezed her eyes shut and held on with all her might. Her heart was racing, her muscles tighter than they've ever been. She was in the air. She was clinging to the back of a dragon's tail. She was _flying. _But then, suddenly, they weren't. Just like every other time, Toothless began to fall to the cove floor. Hiccup looked around wildly. She spotted the fin. It was still folded in. In an instant, she reached for it and forced it open. Toothless soared upward, narrowly missing the ground. And then, they were in the air, high above the cove and over the tree line.

"I did it," Hiccup said in disbelief. "Yes! Yes, I did it! It works!" She cried out in joy and utter glee and was laughing. She had done it. Toothless was flying. _She _was flying. The landscape flew by in a blur. She could see in every direction for miles. The wind blew her hair in all directions. She closed her eyes to try and capture the feeling. It was the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced.

As she turned the fin the dragon banked back down toward the cove. He flew low over the water. Hiccup laughed again. Toothless perked his head and looked back. She was still on his tail that she had fixed. But that wouldn't do. He couldn't take the small Viking girl with him. Being above the water, he could safely drop her. With a flick of his tail, she flew off him and into the water. Without her grip on the fin, however, he crashed into the water as well.

Hiccup surfaced the shallow water with a 'whoop'. "Yeah!" she screamed with a laugh, throwing her hands into the air. She danced around in the chest-high water, until, suddenly, the water was much deeper.

She lost her footing as lake floor dropped off. Her head went under, and immediately she began to panic. There was a long list of things Hiccup couldn't do, but the most silly one, the one she was currently facing, was also her greatest fear.

Hiccup couldn't swim.

She flailed around, struggling to get to the surface and stay there. She coughed and sputtered, but she was taking in water. If she could just get back to the shallow end, over the drop off... But it was getting harder to stay above the water, harder to breathe. She went back under, but she couldn't get back up. She started choking on the water. Just when everything started to slow and blur, two massive paws grabbed her.

Toothless and Hiccup broke the water's surface. He dropped her gently on the cove floor. Hiccup turned to her side coughing, choking out the water as her body forced it out of her. After several agonizing seconds, she started taking in small, wheezy breaths of air into her aching lungs.

Toothless let out a whimper. She looked up to find his face inches from hers, his eyes alight with worry. He had just saved her life, she realized. Though her whole body felt weak, she lifted a hand to his snout. "Thank you, Toothless," she managed with a broken voice. She rested her head against his. "You saved my life." She placed a kiss on between his eyes. He cooed in response.

She shivered. The air was cold, as was the water she had just been in. She was soaked through. She couldn't walk all the way home like that, and she was in no condition to run. She needed to warm up, dry off, or she was sure to catch illness.

Slowly, she stood up. She staggered a bit, but Toothless was there to support her. "Thanks buddy," she said. "Think you can help me find some wood?" She picked up a good sized stick to show him. He huffed and walked off.

Hiccup gathered an armful of sticks and broken branches. She dropped them on the ground and carved out a small pit, then started to arrange them accordingly. Her pile was destroyed, however, as Toothless appeared and dropped a few very sizeable logs on top. She looked up at him. He was obviously pleased with himself. Hiccup couldn't contain her smile. "Uh, good boy, Toothless. I guess we'll have a big fire."

She arranged the logs and twigs, then looked around for the right rocks to light it. She hardly had a chance to look before Toothless fired one of his lightning-like balls of flame at the wood. The fire took instantly. Hiccup laughed. "Well, that was easy."

Toothless situated himself near the fire as Hiccup started taking off her excess clothing. She took off her boots first and set them by the flame, then her fur vest that she laid out on a boulder that was also close to the flame. She went to remove her belt. It was then that she realized something.

The whole time she had been in the cove, she had been wearing her belt. The whole time, she had a short sword strapped to her side. Yes, it was secure in its holder, but it was still obviously a weapon, and very plainly in sight. Much more visible than the dagger she had carried. She had forgotten she was wearing it. But what astonished her wasn't the fact that she was actually wearing a legit weapon for the first time in her life, but that the dragon in front of her hadn't reacted to it.

She looked at Toothless. As if sensing her gaze, he lifted his head and looked back. Her hand was on the belt. He eyed the belt, then her again. But, after several seconds, he laid his head back down.

So he knew she was wearing it. But it didn't bother him. He must have known, then, that she would fail desperately if she tried anything on him, that he could easily overpower her. But, she thought, perhaps he knew. Perhaps he knew that she wasn't going to hurt him. He trusted her. Did he? He opened his eyes again, not lifting his head this time, and looked into hers. _Yes, _she thought, _he does._

She unbuckled her belt and set the weapon against the bolder. She finished taking off her excess clothing, her socks and tunic, and laid them on the boulder as well, leaving her in her undershirt and leggings. She walked over to Toothless and sat cross-legged in front of him, so close to the fire that any further and the air would hurt.

She let her tired mind wander, thinking of the new trust she had between her and the Night Fury. It only rose more questions, though. She had somehow connected with the dragon, built up such a relationship that he would save her life, and he wouldn't feel threatened by any weapon she possessed. How was any of it possible? Dragons and Vikings were supposed to hate each other. They fought and killed each other. And yet, there they were, lying in front of a fire they had built together after a flight attempt and a rescue.

She laid back with a sigh. She was too tired, her body too sore. She had stayed up most of the previous night, and nearly drowning really took it's toll on a person. She turned on her side, her back to the fire, and faced Toothless.

She gazed upon the peaceful, resting dragon. His eyes were closed and his breathing even. She thought of their short flight with a smile. Her fin had worked. Now all she had to do was figure out how to keep it open and move about as he needed it.

The wheels in her head started to slow as her eyes began to droop, but they kept turning long enough to rest on an idea. It gave her pause. It was stupid. It was crazy. But... it just might work.

"Toothless," she said quietly. His eyes opened to slits as he looked at her. "How would you feel about me riding you?"

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~_**

Hiccup woke several hours later to a dragon's yawn.

Somehow her and Toothless had migrated closer together. She laid against his side, his wing wrapped around her. It was strangely comfortable. He was very warm, but never in her life would she have thought she would nap with a Night Fury.

She stretched and sat up. Toothless eyed her. "Hey there, bud." She pet his snout. "You sleep well?" He huffed and stood up. He stretched as well in such a way that made her laugh. It was funny yet cute at the same time.

She stood up as well to attend to things. It would be dark soon, so she needed to leave. The fire had pretty much died out, so she buried the rest of the embers. Her clothes were dry, so she dressed herself. She had just latched her belt to her when Toothless appeared at her side. He sniffed the weapon, but didn't growl at all.

"You already know I won't hurt you," she said, drawing his eyes. "It's for my protection, to keep me safe. Or for hunting, so we can eat. It's like your fire, or your claws." She gestured at the dead fire, then knelt down and touched the deadly talons. "They protect and provide for you." She touched her blade. "This is the same thing. For protection and provision. Not for useless or senseless killing. At least, not from me." He blinked. Somehow, Hiccup knew he understood.

With a smile, she stood again. "I have to go now." He cooed and pressed his head against her. She let out a soft laugh and scratched it. "Don't worry, I'll be back. And when I am, we'll fly." Toothless purred.

She reached down and grabbed her fish basket. "See you tomorrow, buddy!'" she called as she left the cove.

She started her walk back, deciding against running. Her body was still sore from training and her near drowning. Plus, that gave her more time to think about things.

She let her mind wander and dream. She thought of her short flight and what the next one would be like. She would be on his back next time. She would have to build a saddle. And she needed something to control the flap. She pondered over different possible designs all the way back to the village.

It was dark when she finally reached the forest line. It was then that she remembered Ari. She was supposed to train with him that evening. She had completely forgotten. Guilt filled her. He was the only human friend she had, he was going out of his way to teach her, and she blew him off. She wondered if she should find him and apologize. But how would she explain her absence? He would probably read through any lie she would produce.

She would avoid it for the time being. She would think of something to say to him by tomorrow. Instead, she swung by her house, dropped off the basket, and grabbed something to eat. She hadn't eaten since that morning. Then she made her way to the forge. It was going to be another long night.

She went to work as soon as she got there, shaping out a thin, light metal. Cutting out thick pieces of leather. Punching holes and sewing. She was so caught up in it, so immersed, that she didn't even notice when Ari stepped up to the window.

"Hiccup," he said.

She nearly jumped out of her skin. She dropped the hammer she was holding and spun around. "Good grief," she breathed when she saw him, hand over her heart, "don't scare me like that."

"Where were you?" he asked.

Right. Training. She hadn't thought of a good response yet. "Um..."

"I waited for you," he went on. "When you didn't show, I went looking. I searched everywhere. The woods, the ring, the forge. I knocked on your door at your house and you didn't answer."

She looked in his eyes. Was he angry? No. Frustrated, maybe. But concern lingered there. He had been worried about her. "I'm sorry," she said. He said nothing. She sighed, then took a deep breath. She decided to tell the truth. "I got distracted. Then, later this afternoon, I fell asleep. I hadn't slept hardly at all last night and I was really tired. I just woke up not too long ago." Well, the half truth. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "I really am sorry for missing training, and for worrying you."

"I wasn't worried," he said after a moment.

"Weren't you?" she asked. She knew he had been. His eyes really were an open book.

He didn't deny it like she thought the stubborn boy would. "Maybe a little," he admitted. "You shouldn't wander off for hours on end like that."

"I can take care of myself," she said defiantly, confidently.

He smirked. "So you have proved." He leaned against the counter. "You punched Snotlout off his feet and beat a dragon in a staring contest all in one day." He paused. "How did you do it, Hiccup?"

How did she do it? What could she tell him that he would believe? Again, she went with a half truth of sorts. "I just looked at him, and I knew what to do. It was like I saw right through him. I could read him, and I knew I could persuade him back with just me."

His brows were knit in a mix of concentration and confusion. He shook his head. "I don't understand. Dragons are deadly and unpredictable, hard as stone. You can't read them, it's impossible."

She met his eyes and quoted his words to her from the other night. "Maybe you're just not looking in the right place." That was the truth of it. That's how she had the relationship she had now with Toothless. She looked in his eyes and saw that there was an alternative. They didn't have to kill each other. She didn't quite understand it yet, but that much was true.

With nothing else to say, she turned her back to him and picked up her hammer, continuing where she left off shaping the metal.

It was silent for so long that she thought he had left, perhaps insulted or just confused. It was a minute or so before he finally spoke again, but this time she contained her slight scare at the suddenness of his voice. "See you in Training," was all he said.

She turned around to respond, but he was already gone.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Yay bonding! Hiccup and Toothless are going to be friends for life. :D**_

_**Haha, who else liked it when Hiccup punched out Snotlout? Ari sure got a kick out of it. I loved it when Astrid did it in the movie. I just had to put it in here. It cracked me up. Safe to say I think that my version of Hiccup has a bit shorter of a fuse...**_

_**Alright! I've warned you a couple times, but here is the last one 'cause it's finally here! Next chapter is going to be very condensed, up until Hiccup gets stuck on the saddle. So a couple weeks all meshed into a couple thousand words. I hate doing it, but I think it turned out okay. I guess you guys will decide. :)**_

_**And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Alvin the Treacherous! **_

_**"The Northern Islanders grow the best warriors. Fresh, young, strong Vikings. Deadly. Born to kill, bred to die. Gives me goosebumps."**_

_**Kinda creepy, right? Oh, just you wait...**_

_**Until Monday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Omg guys... I'm tired... Stayed up too late watching the Grammys... *yawn***_

_**Happy Monday anyway. :) Here is the condensed chapter! Well, most of it is condensed anyway. Hope you enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

The days started to blur together.

Everyday they learned new skills and fought more dragons in the ring. Everyday someone came out on top. Some days it was Ari. Most of the time it was Hiccup.

When it came down to just fighting the dragon, Ari would win. But Hiccup had tricks up her sleeve. She was learning a lot of things from her Night Fury.

They still trained with each other everyday, her and Ari, in the evenings. She was getting better, with both the sword and bow. She could block most of Ari's swings, and she could at least sink her arrow in a large target, though it was nowhere near bullseye. Ari was teaching her well, even if they didn't speak much, not having much to say to one another except 'Again', 'Good swing', or 'Nice aim'. They congratulated whomever won that day in training, but the air felt strained. He knew something was off, something he was missing or that she wasn't telling him, and she could tell he sensed it. She kept as much distance as she could without adding to the suspicion, which was also as much as she could stand. She didn't want to risk exposing Toothless, but she didn't want to lose Ari either. But it's not like she could tell him that she had a pet Night Fury. What was she supposed to do?

He would ask her sometimes, after training when they would walk to the Mead Hall, how she did it. How had she managed it today? "Just tell me," he said one night. "How are you getting these dragons to fall at your feet or back in their cages?"

"I just look at them and I know what to do," she answered, the same thing she had told him the first night she had won.

"But how? I don't see how you can know what to do just by looking at them, let alone without anything but your bare hands or a shield. It doesn't make any sense."

"You're not looking, Ari," she said. The conversation always went in circles. He would vent his frustration of not understanding. She would say the same thing and use his words. It wasn't very fair, she knew. But what else was she to do? She couldn't blatantly lie to him, and she couldn't tell him the truth. She felt terrible about it. Guilt would wash over her whenever she caught him looking at her.

He opened his mouth to say more, but didn't get the chance. They opened the doors of the Mead Hall and Hiccup was swarmed by people, as she was every night.

That was another thing that had changed. Hiccup was the talk of the village. Naturally, people would start to come to watch the teens in the ring once training started getting closer to the end. But since Hiccup had started winning, people started flocking to get a look at her seemingly miraculous fighting skills. It really was a miracle to them. Hiccup, the Chief's daughter, the disaster prone, weak, clumsy little girl who was previously named the Worst Viking Ever, had transformed into Berk's best dragon fighter.

People would cheer her on during training, fight for a spot next to her during meal times, and follow her around the village when she was out in the open. People she had known all her life but had never spoken to, people who previously ridiculed and abused her, would now punch the lights out of the person next to them for a chance to talk to her. She felt like she should enjoy it, but she couldn't bring herself to. They only liked her because of her 'fighting', her tricks. It bothered her. But what bothered her most was the other teens.

They had been giving her way more attention as well. They followed her around and praised her on her latest victory, begging her for tips. They were all being... nice to her. Even Snotlout. He seemed to have forgotten about the bruise at the bridge of his nose and worshiped her just as much as the others, if not more. He had even started a voting pool for what her title would be when she was given one at her coming-of-age ceremony. They included, but were not limited to, 'Hiccup the Dragon Slayer', 'Hiccup the Brave', 'Hiccup the Legend', and 'Hiccup the Very Useful'.

The others treated her similarly. Fishlegs always wanted to go over her techniques while reading the Dragon Manual to discuss statistics of some sort. Ruffnut wanted to hang out, just the two of them girls. Tuffnut in particular was giving her _much _more attention than she was at all comfortable with.

_But it's not because they actually like me, _she thought. _It's because of what they think I'm doing. _That was the truth of it. Berk, and Vikings in general, celebrated and held their strong on their shoulders, while the weak were ridiculed and largely ignored. So that's what they were doing, praising her because they thought she was the greatest dragon fighter they had ever seen. Ari was the only one that wasn't fooled.

When it all became too much, when she just wanted to get away, she would make up some sort of excuse. She forgot her axe in the ring, she needed a nap or a run. Everyday after training, she would high tail it out of there and into the woods toward the cove.

Hiccup went to see Toothless everyday. They were getting closer and closer to full-on flight.

The saddle was the first step. When she first presented it to him and tried to put it on, he, naturally, thought it was a game and tried to run away from her. It took an hour of running, hiding, coaxing, begging, and finally surprise pouncing to get the thing on him.

They flew low over the cove most of the time whenever they attempted flying. The saddle fit well and she sat on it as she tried to control the fin. At first she tried holding a rope in her hand that she had tied to the fin. It worked well enough, but with only one hand on the saddle, it was easy to lose her grip. Plus, one wrong tug would send them both flying.

Next, she tried tying the rope to her boot. She had a better grip on the saddle, but less control over the fin, resulting in more falls and crash landings.

It was clear then that she needed something to help her stay on. Another long night and she finished a harness that attached to her belt and would latch to Toothless's saddle.

It worked well. But the rope, even when tied to one of the stirrups she made, was unstable. At one point, they crashed into a small field of tall, soft grass. Hiccup wondered if it was on purpose on the dragon's part, however. She watched in part puzzlement and the other amusement as her dragon went crazy over the grass. He couldn't get enough of it. He purred and cooed and rolled around, trying to touch it with every inch of his body. This was something that needed to be tested.

The next day in training, Hiccup held a small bundle of the grass in her hand. As the Gronckle charged her, she held her hand straight out. Once the dragon smelt it, he was on the ground right in front of her, completely mesmerized by the small green blades. With a soft laugh, she rubbed the grass against his snout and then moved it over so that the dragon rolled on it's side. Hiccup was declared winner of the day.

That wasn't the only trick she had learned. One day, while fixing a buckle, the sun reflected off the metal, making a small glare on the ground. Toothless spotted it and immediately pounced. Hiccup moved the buckle, the light with it, and Toothless followed. He ran after it and pounced wherever she pointed. It entertained them both for the better part of an hour.

In training, they were introduced to the Terrible Terror. It was the smallest dragon they had ever seen, and they all had a good laugh about it for a few seconds. At least, until it attacked.

"Ha!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "It's like the size of my-" He didn't get a chance to say, and frankly, no one wanted to know. The dragon pounced on his face and he screamed. The others scattered as he fell to the ground, the tiny dragon chewing on his nose. "Ah! Get it off! Get it off!"

Hiccup caught the glare of the sun on the metal part of her shield and pointed it at the ground. It caught the dragon's eye and he jumped off the boy. Tuffnut rolled away, clutching his face and continuing to cry out as the dragon chased the bright spot. Hiccup moved it around, luring him all the way back into the cage. To everyone else, it looked as though she just pushed him back with her shield, again without even touching him.

"Wow," Tuffnut said to Ari as they all watched. "She's better than you ever were."

Hiccup winced as she heard that. She dared look at Ari to find his eyes waiting. He looked away, but she didn't need to read him to know what he was thinking. Hiccup had gotten good. Way better than she should have. But he didn't accuse her of anything. No. He respected her more than that.

She worked on the saddle system every night. Finally, she had almost perfected it.

She ran the line up his tail and to the left stirrup that she adjusted to shift into different positions. It kept the fin open when she locked her foot in place, then moved into different positions each time she clicked the stirrup up or down, allowing him to fly in different ways. Now all they had to do was practice.

They were on the cliffs of the left side of Berk. The wind was strong up there. She tied the saddle to a stump to keep them in place. _No more crash landings_... They flew in place, testing out the different positions. Hiccup drew a picture of what each one of them did. They were both beaming. They would be flying in no time.

Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew them back and broke the rope. They landed in the grass area behind them.

"So much for no more crash landings..." Hiccup muttered as they both tried to situate themselves. Toothless rolled and stood up, dragging Hiccup with him. She was still attached to the saddle. She tried to unlatch it. No luck.

"Crap." She pulled on it some more. It was no use. The hook had bent and locked them together. She didn't have any sort of tool to bend or cut them free.

"Okay," she said as she tried to think. "Okay, okay, okay..." What could she do? She was stuck to a Night Fury. She had to get back to the village eventually. She couldn't stay out there forever. But what could she do? She had nothing to free them.

There was one solution. She groaned at the thought. It had to be done. There was no other way.

"Okay," she said again. She turned to the waiting dragon. "You up for something crazy?"

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

They had to wait until after sunset, which meant that she missed training with Ari again. She dreaded the next time she saw him.

They landed behind the forge. Hiccup hopped off and steered the dragon around the side. She stopped at the sound of footsteps. She pushed the dragon back and leaned against the side as a night guard walked past.

"Hiccup," he acknowledged.

She waved and tried her best to put on a convincing smile. In reality, her heart was pounding in nervousness. She waited until he rounded another corner, then pulled the dragon around the building and through the door into the dark forge.

Toothless didn't seem very nervous at all, she noted in slight bitterness. At first, maybe. But now he seemed more curious than anything. And he was making noise. A lot of it. He was bumping into things, knocking stuff over with his tail, and tossing stuff around that he got stuck on his snout by sticking his face in whatever it was. She couldn't really blame him. The forge wasn't built for a dragon. But he could at least stop sticking his nose into things. She feared if someone walked by. They would surely stop to see what all the noise was about.

She grabbed a pair of pliers and a hammer and got to work unbending the hook. She had hardly started, however, when she heard a voice that made her blood run cold.

"Hiccup?" came Ari from outside. "Hiccup, are you in there?"

What to do, what to do- She had to act fast. He would come into the forge if she didn't answer him. Then again, he would probably come in if she did. But she was still attached to a Night Fury. She didn't even want to think of what would happen if Ari saw Toothless.

In a flash, she opened the counter window and jumped out, closing it shut behind her. She turned to him. He looked startled and, once again, frustrated. She ran a nervous hand through her hair and once again tried to put on a convincing smile.

"Hey! Ari! Hi, Ari... Uh... Hi." She bit the side of her lip, trying to control her rambling."What uh-" Toothless pulled slightly on the line connecting them. She tried her best to hide it. "What brings you out here?"

For several moments, he said nothing. He just look her over, his eyes narrowing as he did so. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Oh, you know," she responded as Toothless pulled again, trying to act as casual as possible. "Just working on one of my projects, being a blacksmith and all. Just can't stop makin' stuff! Probably won't even work. I'm wasting my time in there. I was just about to turn in for the night." She was rambling again, but she couldn't help it.

He paused again before he spoke. She knew he saw straight through her. He saw the strangeness of the situation. He knew she was hiding something. Anyone else and it might have escaped their notice. But not him. Not Ari. "You didn't meet me for training," he said finally.

"Yikes," she said quickly, "I totally forgot about that!"

"We do it everyday," he retorted. "How could you forget?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, you know me. I get distracted or get going on a project and everything else just," she swept a hand over her head, "blows right past me."

"I do know you, Hiccup." He stepped closer. She tried to step back, but came in contact with the wall. "I know something is going on with you. You're keeping secrets."

_Just a Night Fury that's actually right behind me in the shop... _"Secrets? No. I'm a... I'm an open book." Toothless was still pulling, and it was hurting her abdomen.

He nodded. "Yes you are. Others can't see it, but I can. You can't fool me, Hiccup. You're hiding something."

He was definitely on to her. She had to get him out of there, and there was only one way to do that. Her heart ached at what she was about to do. She could only hope that she could somehow repair and save their relationship later.

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"I didn't say that."

She glared at him. "This is about dragon training, isn't it?"

His mouth formed a thin line. "I didn't say that, either."

"You didn't have to," she shot back. "You don't believe that I could just be getting good?"

"Honestly?" He shook his head. "Not that good. Not that fast."

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say. "You're just mad that I'm doing better than you."

Now he really was angry. He stepped closer to her. "Excuse me?"

"Can't stand getting beat can you, ?" she went on. "You and your stupid pride. Or is it just me? You're getting beat by Hiccup the Useless. For the first time in my life I'm actually doing something right and you can't _stand _it. You're _jealous._"

He was right in front of her now, less than a foot separating them. He slammed the side of his fist on the wall, startling her, and leaded in.

"Is that what you really think?" he asked, venom dripping from every word. "I may be competitive, Hiccup, but I wouldn't drown success where it's deserved. But you," he points a finger at her, "I know you're hiding something. You know something about dragons, some kind of weakness or something, and you're keeping it from everyone else. _You're _the one with the stupid pride. You would actually keep something from everyone in the tribe that could actually help us in the war just so you can look good for the first time in your life, so that people will actually like you. Tell me this Hiccup, when has what other people thought and said ever meant anything?"

There was a low growl from within the shop. Toothless wasn't happy with what was going on. Ari heard it and looked around, but she quickly brought his attention back. "It means everything!" she retorted, her voice raised. "I wouldn't expect you to understand because you've never had anyone say one negative thing about you your whole life. But me? All my life I've gotten it. A good day for me was if I could avoid talking to anyone! My tribe, the people I'm supposed to be able to count on, rejected me, even my own father. Everyone hated me!"

They were both breathing heavily, anger and nerves racing their hearts.

"Not everyone," he said after a few beats.

She shot him an accusing look, real anger building inside her. "Oh yeah? And where were you, then? You say you don't hate me, yet where have you been the last _nine years_? Maybe you didn't regularly abuse me, but you avoided me just like everyone else!"

"I didn't avoid you, Hiccup! I was always there!"

"Really? Because I don't remember us talking much up until a few weeks ago."

"Maybe you didn't notice, but that's not who I am. I didn't talk much to anyone else either!"

"No, you were too busy training to be second-in-command so I didn't screw things up when I took over. But you took care of that, right? Talked the Chief into putting me into the forge. Well congratulations, Ari! You saved the Tribe!"

She put a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant that. She had crossed a line. She'd leapt over it. Smashed it. Burned it. Spat in the ashes.

All was silent. Neither of them were even breathing. She removed her hand and opened her mouth to say something, anything, but he beat her to it.

"It's getting late," was all he said. He pushed his hand off the wall and turned away, making it a few steps until Hiccup called after him.

"Ari, wai-" she yelped. Toothless yanked on the line, pulling her up against the window doors, then pulled harder until she was forced inside the shop.

There wasn't any time. Ari was sure to run in. She grabbed the pliers and hammer and hopped on Toothless before they bounded out and into the air, back toward the cove.

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**_

When they got back to the cove, Hiccup had found that she was crying.

She had ruined it. She had ruined everything. He was gone. The one person on Berk who would actually talk to her, who actually kind of liked her, and who actually knew the real her. For the most part, anyway. Minus the Night Fury.

But what was she to do? She couldn't give up Toothless. But she was lying to her whole tribe. She had lost her only friend whom she had just gotten. And if anyone found out, what then? She couldn't hide Toothless forever, and there was still the problem of how she would get food to him and keep him alive during the winter. Toothless couldn't fly on his own.

The dragon had noticed her distress and was hovering over her nervously, clearly upset. "It's all so messed up," she told him. She found herself talking to him a lot. She was sure he understood some of it, and he was a great listener.

She pet his snout. "What are we going to do? It's just a matter of time before Ari figures it out. Even if he doesn't, how are we going to keep you alive this winter?" She sighed and buried her face in her arms. Toothless pressed his snout against her head.

"If only I hadn't injured you," she went on. "If only you could fly on your own."

The sentence made her stop. An idea popped in her head. The wheels started to turn. She lifted her head to look at him.

"If only you could fly on your own."

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

Ari turned just in time to see Hiccup disappear behind the doors. It was such a strange sight that it gave him pause. But only for a moment. Whatever had just transpired between them, whatever words were said that he would probably realize later weren't meant, he had made a vow to be there for Hiccup. If she was in trouble, he would help her without a second thought.

He jogged back to the counter and threw the doors open. Hiccup was nowhere in sight. He went to the door and walked in the dark shop. He called her name. No answer. Perhaps she just ran out. But he had to be sure.

He walked through the shop and into the back room. He couldn't see anything at all. He felt around for a candle and lit it.

He was in Hiccup's work room. He had never been in there, either. He doubted anyone had. It was a lot like her room, only smaller. Hiccup size. There was a slanted desk and a few shelves with tools as furniture, but how he could tell it was Hiccup's was all the drawings.

There weren't many people. Mostly designs for some project or another. Many weapons. He spotted his axe, new and improved, sketched and pinned to the wall. There was a picture of him throwing it too, some notes written around him with arrows pointing at different parts of his weapon. The others were up there as well, their weapons in hand. It gave him pause, seeing how much time and thought she had actually put into each of them. Even when they never gave her the time of day.

He thought of the pictures in her room. All of those people. Not a single one of her. Even when she drew the group of teens together, she was absent from every one.

Hiccup really was alone. She saw every single person in the Tribe, but no one saw her. No one _truly _saw her. Even when they were looking, all they saw was a mistake.

"_Everyone hated me."_

Ari never hated her. He never saw her as a mistake. He saw what she was good for. But, though she was out of line, some of her words had a ring of truth. He never paid much attention to her, either. And now he saw why Hiccup was the way she was.

He didn't forgive her. Not yet. She was out of line, though he gave her the benefit of the doubt in thinking that she didn't mean what she said. But she was still holding something back. The Hiccup that fought with him moments ago was not the real Hiccup. She was lying, in words and attitude, and he saw right through her. She was hiding something, and he was determined to find out what it was.

He looked about the room once more, then suddenly felt like he was invading something very private. Her room was one thing. She had brought him there to take care of him while he was sick. But this, her workshop, was her own private space; a place for her to be free and creative away from judgemental eyes. He turned to leave, but something caught his eye.

A drawing lay on her desk, slightly covered by some others. He felt like he had seen it before, or something like it. He reached forward and pushed the other drawings away.

It was that dragon, the one he didn't recognize. All black, large wingspan, not very big. It didn't make sense. Why would she draw a dragon that didn't exist? There was another drawing underneath it, this one he guessed was something she had or was building. He couldn't tell what it was. A sail? A fan?

The most curious thing of all, though, was the small pile of scales next to both the pictures. Dragon scales, no doubt, black as night. He wondered what dragon it could have come from. A Nightmare, maybe. They had red and black scales. But these seemed much darker than any he had ever seen.

His eyes fell back on the drawing. The scales would match that dragon. But that dragon didn't exist. At least, it wasn't known to the Vikings of Berk. No one had ever seen it before, or it would be in the book. And when would Hiccup have ever seen a dragon like that? One that no one else had ever seen before?

A memory came to him, one from a few weeks ago. The morning of the raid.

He froze. Hiccup couldn't have... She didn't really shoot down that Night Fury, right? No. That's impossible.

Right?

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

_**I realize a lot of Hiccup/Ari fans may be mad at me right now...**_

**_Please don't hate me._**

_**It had to happen... You didn't think that Ari would all of a sudden be totally accepting of this Night Fury business or that Hiccup would tell him right away, did you? Well... that would have been nice and all but... uh... no. Besides, I have something REALLY FLIPPIN' ADORABLE in store...**_

_**Anyway. Snap! Ari is starting to figure stuff out! And what is Hiccup going to do about this idea that just popped into her head? Oh, just you wait...**_

_**Okay! Now for a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from a new character that isn't in the movie but is in the book series... Camicazi! **_

_**"Haha! Have at thee, Pirate!"**_

_**Yup. I love Camicazi. She's kind of like a female Peter Pan. **_

_**Until Friday! **_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Erm... Sorry I didn't post this earlier. Normally I post at 6am, but the thing is... I didn't have class today... So I slept in... Which I haven't done in a long time...**

**Anyway, here is chapter 11! Enjoy!**

**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~**

"Okay buddy, we're going to take this nice and slow, alright?"

Training the next morning came and went. She managed to run out of the ring, being declared winner again, before being swarmed. She even somehow miraculously avoided Ari, whom seemed hell bent to speak with her. Now, she was somewhere no Viking had ever ventured; just below the thrones of the Gods themselves, on the back of a Night Fury.

She couldn't have wiped the smile off her face even if she wanted to. The wind on her face, blowing through her bangs and loosening some of the hair out of her already messy bun. She could see everywhere for miles. And their altitude... Every second she felt that rush like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, but the power she felt from the dragon beneath her assured her that she would stay aloft. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She was a Viking, high in the sky on the back of a dragon. She felt like she was cheating, like she was breaking the laws of life, and she loved it.

She wasn't the only one. Toothless rolled his shoulders and gazed ahead, oh so ready. It had been weeks since he had actually flown about in the open sky. He was in his element. He was where he belonged. And now, he was going to show his human exactly what he was capable of.

"Position four... uh, no three." Hiccup checked the picture guide she had tacked to the saddle and shifted her foot accordingly.

They started quick decline, speeding past the cliffs and toward the great blue ocean. Hiccup laughed as they did so, feeling as though she had just jumped off one of those cliffs. She felt like she was cheating death itself.

She shifted her foot again and they pulled up, flying low just a few feet above the water. Seabirds scattered as the pair flew by, around the rouge rock formations. They flew straight through one of them, a gigantic rock arc. Hiccup looked up and around her in awe. The birds whipping past, the massive formation towering above them, the salty sea just below... it was all so surreal, so incredible...

Lost in her own amazement, Hiccup didn't even notice they were flying straight into another towering rock mass until Toothless cried out, trying to stop them. Her attention jerked back, she tried to avoid it as well, shifting her foot, but it was too late. Toothless rammed into to rock.

"Sorry!" Hiccup cried.

Toothless shook himself, then pushed off the rock and flew again... right into another one.

"Ah! I'm sorry! My bad!" the girl cried again as they leveled out and flew over the water again, away from the rocks. Toothless turned his head quickly and smacked her with his ear flap. "Gah! Hey, I said I was sorry!" She merely got a grunt from the dragon. She sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Position three... no, four."

She shifted again and they started climbing, high and fast. Each beat of the Night Fury's wings brought them another twenty feet higher, and Toothless was pumping as fast as he could. He was obviously enjoying himself, giving out a roar and letting his tongue fall out the side of his mouth. Hiccup found herself laughing and shouting in glee once again. "Whoo! Yes! Oh, the wind in my- Cheatsheet!" Her guide to the stirrup came loose from the tack and flew behind them. "Stop!"

Toothless immediately stopped at her command, and then they were floating. Hiccup scrambled and grabbed for the sheet, completely releasing her hold on the saddle. But that was what she made the harness for, so she would stay attached to the saddle. Until, suddenly, she wasn't.

Toothless had shifted to a horizontal position, but Hiccup rose a few more feet. They were at the perfect, most unfortunate angle, in which the rings on her harness slipped out of the hooks on the saddle. She managed to grab the sheet, but when she looked down she found that Toothless wasn't beneath her. Well, he was, but several feet further than he should have been. Toothless' eyes looked up to meet hers and both pairs widened in terror. Then they were falling. Fast.

Toothless roared. Hiccup shouted a very colorful word, one she had heard Snotlout say once. Though she wasn't one to swear, and that particular word had never passed her lips before, it seemed appropriate for the occasion.

"No!" she shouted over the wind and the dragon's cries. He was clawing at the air, desperately trying to reach her, while spinning tried to instruct him on what to do. "Okay, you-you gotta kind of angle yourself- Ah!" She tried grabbing onto him, but he was spinning too fast. His tail swung around and smacked her even further away.

Her panic was rising. They were nearing the treeline. She had to do something now. Faster than anyone could blink, she shoved the sheet between her teeth, flattened her arms and legs, and angled herself toward Toothless. She came right on him as he spun again, his back facing her, more importantly the saddle. She reached for it and gripped with all her might. Her arms screamed in protest as she fought the wind to put her feet back in the stirrups. She didn't even have the time or strength to hook herself in. Just in time, she clicked the stirrup.

They stopped falling just above the trees, but were still moving remarkably fast. They raced down the decline of the forest, toward the water again. Toward the fog, where the maze of jagged rock formations were. They both saw it, and Toothless roared once again. There was no avoiding it. They were going too fast. They would have to fly through it, and at the breakneck speed they were going, the thought was terrifying.

Hiccup pulled the sheet from her teeth and tried to look at it, tried to figure out which position she should use next. But there was no time. There was no time then, and there wouldn't be any when they entered the maze for her to check the sheet. She took a deep breath and threw it over her shoulder, then crouched low on the dragon's back. They entered the maze. Then, something amazing happened.

For the few seconds they were in the maze, they became one mind. They worked together. The slightest movement or touch from the one told the other what to do. Instinct or something else kicked in and Hiccup knew when to shift her foot where. Her body ached at the lack of support from the harness, but she kept the hold. They turned, banked, twisted and rolled. Another second on any movement and they would have been dead. But they weren't, and they shot out of the fog unscathed.

Hiccup laughed in disbelief. "Yes!" she shouted. She raised her fists to the air. "Yes! Whoo!" She laughed again. Toothless roared in happiness and, in his excitement, shot one of his lightning-like fireballs in front of them.

Hiccup dropped her arms to the side and groaned, "Oh, come on," as they flew straight through it.

~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~

They landed in the cove a while later, completely windblown and breathless. Hiccup was still practically shaking with excitement and left over adrenaline.

"Oh my gosh, Toothless," she exclaimed as she hopped off him. She spun around a bit, her arms spread, then fell to the ground on her back, looking up at the sky. "Can you believe we did that?"

Instead of hearing the huff or coo she expected, the dragon let out a slight whimper. She furled her brows in concern and quickly lifted herself on her elbows to look at him. "What's wrong, buddy?"

Toothless' ear flaps were down against his neck, his eyes were wide, and his tail wrapped around him. He was clearly upset about something. He whimpered some more, eyeing his paw. She righted herself and moved toward him. "What's wrong?" she asked again. "Did you hurt yourself?"

She examind him closely. there wasnt any sign of injury, not even a thorn in his paw to be seen. Then what was his problem. she looked back up at him, his expression unchanged. He looked... guilty. But why? She glanced back down.

"Oh," she said, realization finally dawning on her. His paw was bear. Her mother's necklaces... They were gone. "Oh," she said again. They must have broken free, maybe from when they ran into the rocks, or when they were falling. She didn't really know, nor did she really care. They were gone, in the sea or lost in the forest. Gone.

Tears weld up in her eyes. This was the second time she had lost those. This time, however, she was sure she wouldn't get them back. She looked back up at Toothless. He was still whimpering, just as upset as she was. He knew those necklaces were important somehow, that they meant a lot to her. They had come to mean something to him as we'll.

But it wasn't his fault. It was neither parties fault. It was an unforeseen event, not something that could have been readily avoided.

She swallowed hard and placed a hand on his snout. He leaned into her touch. "It's okay," she said. "It's not your fault. I should have repaired or used a more secure tie. I can get you some new ones." He whimpered again and put his head over her shoulder, pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck. For a few moments, they stayed that way, comforted by one another's presence.

She pulled back and looked at him. "Come on," she said. "Let's take off our gear and rest. I'm tired." He gave her a weary look, still upset. "Really, don't worry about it." She lightly kissed his head. "Let's just take a nap."

They took off all their riding gear. Toothless curled up on the ground and made himself comfortable, then opened his wing for her. With a soft smile, she moved underneath it and laid against him. He wrapped his wing around her, curled his tail up, and laid his head next to hers. She was still upset, but not at him. No, he made her feel better. And right there, cacooned in the embrace of her Night Fury, she felt safer and more content then she had in years, since the days before her mother died.

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

They woke several hours later. There was something about waking up to a dragon's yawn that was very far from starling, but rather, comforting.

They rose slowly and stretched. It was sunset, but she wasn't in any hurry. She had no desire to run into Ari anytime soon, and she didn't have any plans to eat in the Mead Hall. She felt like she could sleep several more hours, but she had a long night in the forge ahead.

"Okay buddy," she said finally, still sitting on the ground rubbing her eyes. "I better get going."

He let out a huff of disapproval, but then leaned forward and licked her. "Ew," she said. "Thanks."

She stood as she tried to flatten hair back down. After gaining some control of it, she moved to her things. Leaving everything else laid out on the side, she only latched her belt and short sword to her hips. She turned back to a cooing Tootless.

His whole body was perked up, intrigued. His tail tapped against the ground, his eyes tracking a pair of birds dancing about above him.

She quietly observed him. Without his prosthetic and saddle, he looked bear, wild. He looked like the dragon no one had ever seen before. He looked like a Night Fury. The necklaces absent from his paw only solidified the conclusion in her mind.

"You don't belong here," she said. He turned to her and she continued speaking. "You shouldn't have to be stuck here every night, limited to flying only by my help. And it's all my fault." He was right in front of her now. "You belong up there, high in the sky, free." She rested her hand on his snout with a soft smile. "And I'm going to make that happen. I promise."

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

Hiccup worked nearly worked through the whole night. But she finished. Her gift to Toothless was finished.

In hindsight, she probably could have done it earlier. But it would have taken her a lot longer, many attempts and failures. Plus, by working with Toothless the past several weeks, watching him and how he moved in flight, she was able to build it much better and faster then if she has tried making it in the beginning.

But, she admitted to herself, part of her hadn't done it out of desire. She wanted to ride him. She couldn't help herself. She was too curious. And that first little taste of flight she got that first day she put the fin on him had only strengthed it. Then she flew. They flew. She became the only Viking ever to explore that world, and it was amazing.

But that was just it. It was a completely different world. Not one she belonged in. She couldn't go on living a double life. Surely, someone would find out eventually. Toothless wouldn't survive the winter. There was no way out that they could stay together.

She finally finished. Stowing her creation away,  
She sat down at her desk with a heavy sigh, just as the first hints of sunrise began to show.

She had stolen Toothless' freedom. She had risked everything. But now, things would go back to somewhat normal. They would each return to their seperate worlds. He had saved her life once, and now she would save his with her last gift.

A fin Toothless could move on his own.

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

Ari approached the forge. The sun was halfway above the horizon and he had already looked around much of the village, staring with her house. She was nowhere to be seen yesterday, and he had needed to stop his search at meal time. But it was a new day, and he needed to find her.

The shop was dark and silent, so he stepped inside. The air was slightly warm. A few embers still burned in the coal. Someone had been working in there recently, through the night, it seemed. Hiccup is the only one that would do that.

He walked into the back, the quiet of the place keeping him from calling her name. He reached Hiccup's room. It was dark, the window barely cracked, but he could make out her shape.

She sat at her desk, all curled up, with her head resting in her arms on the slanted wood. All that was in him, the anger, confusion, frustration, softened a little bit. She looked so small, so vulnerable, so Hiccup. Even though Hiccup was far from fragile, she looked as if she could be shattered with a touch. But she also looked troubled. She brows were furled in sadness. There were small bags underneith her eyes, confirming his suspicion that she had worked through the night. Whatever secret she was keeping, whatever she was going through, was taking it's toll on her. She couldn't go on much longer, he could tell. Whatever was happening with her, she wasn't too happy about it either, and it was breaking her down.

Her expression hardened and she shifted. His heart softened a little more. He opened the window a bit more to check the sun's status. It was still several hours before they were due at the ring. Hiccup needed toss precious hours of sleep, and that position couldn't be at all comfortable.

Stepping forward, he tapped her shoulder, testing. He got no response. He shocked her slightly. A very quiet groan, but she didn't stir. Taking these as his green light, he knelt down and pulled Hiccup to him. He rested her head on his shoulder and picked her up slowly. Immediately, she shivered and drew close to him. She wasn't wearing any fur, he noticed. Lately, she had taken to going without her vest due to the warming weather. But it was still cold at night, and the heat from the shop didn't reach back there. He wondered how she had managed to sleep at all in the chill.

Carefully, he walked her over to the cot in the corner of the room and set her down. He pulled a fur over her. She clutched it and shivered.

Gobber would probably find her later and wake her up. Ari would come by and check just in case so she wouldn't be late for training. He turned to leave, but a voice stopped him.

"Daddy?"

He turned back to Hiccup. That had come from her. But... she was still asleep.

She spoke again. "I'm sorry, daddy."

She was talking in her sleep. Not only that, but she was crying, too. He couldn't stop himself. He knelt forward and wiped the stray tears away. "Shh," he said. "It's okay, Hiccup."

She shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" he asked after a moment.

"I'm sorry I'm a... a 'Hiccup'. I'm no... Dragon Slayer."

He didn't want to hear this. It was upsetting them both. "Shh," he tried to soothe her. "It's okay, Hiccup."

She went on. "And the Night Furry..."

He froze at that. So something had happened with that Night Fury she shot at. "What about the Night Fury?" He asked carefully.

She shook her head. "And the necklaces... Mother's necklaces..."

He sighed. It didn't seem like he was going to get any more out of her about the dragon. "What about the necklaces?"

"I... I lost them while... on Toothless..."

She was just speaking gibberish now. He opened his mouth to tell her to go to sleep, but she cut him off.

"I'm sorry," she said once more with tears falling, "I'm sorry I'm such a mistake. I'm sorry that I can't be what you want me to be."

His heart ached, all the anger and confusion he previously felt drained out of him. He reached forward again and wiped the tears away. "Shh," he soothed, brushing the bangs from her eyes. "You're not a mistake, Hiccup." He gazed at her sleeping form. Her expression relaxed a little. "You're perfect just the way you are." Without really thinking, he leaned forward and lightly kissed her head.

It seemed to work magic. All the tension in her face and body disappeared, and she feel into a deep sleep. Ari stood. "Sleep well, Hiccup," he whispered, then turned and walked out, more confused than he had been walking in there.

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

**_So who else saw the Gift of Night Fury? Yeah, had to throw that in here. It's just such an awesome display of the bond they have. :)_**

**_Who else is excited for Ari to find out about Toothless?! :D I am! It's going to be great, just you wait. ;)_**

**_Okay! Quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Hiccup!_**

**_"I'm not a killer. I don't see how humans are different than dragons, which we know I'm incapable of killing. If anything it's worse, even if they are Pirates."_**

**_Well, that's it for now! See ya'll Monday_**

**_~StoriesOfAnInsomniac_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_So, I realize that this was due to be posted 13 hours ago. But, unfortunately, Monday+stayed up all night+slept in+no class+Thai food=evening post. My bad, guys. But, technically, it's still Monday, so I'm still in the green. :) _**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~_**

"Up with ya now, lass."

Hiccup groaned and pulled the fur over her head as Gobber shook her awake.

"Oh no ya don't," he said as he pulled the fur off her. "We got ta get you to the ring. You're goin ta be late fer trainin!" He walked over to the window and pushed it wide open. Hiccup groaned again and tried to burry her face in the cot she was on.

Cot. Cot. She slept in the cot? Begrudgingly, she opened her eyes slowly to adjust to the blinding light and looked around. She was in her workroom, where she remembered working through the night. But... she didn't remember lying down on the cot. Last thing she remembered was resting her head in her arms on her desk... But she had this dream, or at least what she thought was a dream, of her father carrying her. Then they were talking. Did that mean... it wasnt a dream? But her father wasn't home yet.

Gobber was still talking. Something about training that day, then scoulding her for working so late, but she wasn't really listening, trying to figure out how she ended up on the cot.

"Hey, Gobber?" she interupted him. "Did you move me from my desk to this cot?"

He frowned. "No, I didn'. I wasn' even in the shop at all last night."

She matched his frown. "What about this morning?" She had fallen asleep just as dawn was aproaching, so it must have been after that.

He shrugged. "Not until now. Must have been sleepwalkin' lass. Not many early risers here on Berk, nor can I think of many that would come in here or be movin' you about."

I can, she thought to herself. There was really only one person it could have been. But she hadn't time to dwell on it, as Gobber was ushering her out the door.

When they reached the ring, Hiccup was met by what had become the usual friendly greetings of the other teens. But she looked to Ari to find him already eyeing her. She blushed and looked away.

_So it was him_, she thought. He had been the one to move her. But... why would he do that? And that talk she had with her 'father'. She had apologized for being Useless. But, she had also mention something about a Night Fury... about Toothless. Had he heard that? Had she talked to him in her sleep?

Self anger made her flush deeper. She had pictures of Toothless on her walls. How could she have been so stupid? Come to think of it, there were pictures of him in her bedroom, too. He could have seen those when he slept in her room when he was sick... And now she had pretty much told him about her Night Fury?

She was torn from her thoughts as Gobber unlocked the door of the Deadly Nadder cage. Through the course of the class, all of the teens had gotten noteably better, so they were all prepared. They each grabbed a shield and raised their weapons, ready for the dragon to come at them.

Hiccup drew her sword and raised her shield, poised in defense. After a while though, when the dragon finally came at her, she dropped both of her items and held her hands up. The Nadder pulled up and eyed her curiously.

Hiccup smiled. Just as predicted, when the dragon wasn't threatened, it didn't attack. Just like Toothless.

"I won't hurt you," she whispered. She held her hand out for the dragon to see. Cautiously, she moved her hand closer. The dragon didn't budge. Hiccup laid her hand on the Nadder's snout. The dragon gave a curious coo.

Hiccup gave a soft laugh and pet her pretty scales. But the others were coming. She heard more than one battle cry from afar and running feet. She didn't want the dragon hurt. She started scratching her around her neck, something that Toothless also loved. The Nadder closed it's eyes and leaned into her. She scratched up and around, and then, squeezed at that one spot just under the jaw...

The Nadder collapsed, completely unharmed and in a world of pleasure, just as Toothless had done when Hiccup did it to him. The others stopped dead in their tracks, their faces once again lit with confusion and amazement. The audience applauded. Hiccup forced a smile and thanked their congratulations.

She stood it for as long as she could, then turned to run out. She stopped, however, at the sight of a boy in front of her.

Ari stood maybe ten feet behind where she had been, armed still with his axe and shield. But they hung loose at his sides. And his eyes... They were confused and amazed as well, even more so than the others. His face held the expression of a question. Normally when she won, his expression was hard. But now...

He saw. He had been standing there, ten feet behind her, the whole time she had dropped her defense, pet the dragon, then made it pass out without harming it. He had seen it all, then. He now had all the pieces to her complicated little puzzle. All he had to do was put them together.  
But he needed her for that. He needed her to explain things. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. She had to get out of there. She had to keep Toothless safe.

Quicker than one could blink, she sheathed her sword and ran. She heard him call out for her, his footsteps not far behind, but soon they faded away. She was fast. Faster than him. While he had strength and agility on his side, she had speed, and nothing but. She ran, making a maze of it to try and throw him off. She needed to get to the forge. She needed to get the prosthetic. She needed to get to Toothless.

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~_**

It took her longer than it should have, having to dodge and hide behind houses, and being slowed down by the weight of the fin, but eventually she made it out of the village.

In the forest, she moved as quickly as she could. Ari was looking for her, and the forest would be his next place to search. She couldn't let him find her. She had to get to Toothless first and get him away. The thought made her heart ache, but she pushed those feelings away. It had to be done. She trudged forward.

When she reached the cove, things were quiet. Too quiet. She frowned.

"Toothless?" she called carefully. She set her things down and continued forward, her steps slow and cautious, her eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for this game right now." And really, pouncing was her least favorite game. She always lost.

_Stupid lizard_. She continued to walk around, circling, trying to spot him. But no luck. Seemingly out of nowhere, the dragon pounced, knocking her to the ground, then wrapped her up in his paws and rolled around, snickering the whole time.

"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup grumbled into his scales, though she tried to fight her laugh. "You've made your point. Now let me go you useless reptile." He released her, but not before promptly licking her face.

"Ew," she said. As she tried to rub it all off her face, Toothless bounded over to the riding gear. He picked it up in his gums and bounded back, pushing them at Hiccup, then dropping them at her feet.

She gave a soft, sad smile. "Not today, buddy." He gave her a curious look. She picked up the new prosthetic to show him. "I have something new for you."

It took a few minutes to get it on, mostly because Toothless wouldn't stop moving, but it fit well.

"Try it out," she told him, gesturing to the tail. He looked at, then back at her. "Go on. Move your fin."

Eyes wide in curiousity, he looked back at the tail and moved his fin. The prosthetic move with it. He let out a small cry of surprise, then moved it again.

Hiccup laughed a little. "Try flying around." He did. He flew low around the cove, then a bit higher. He didn't crash and fall.  
Hiccup admired her handy work. "Perfect," she said as he landed in front of her. She put a hand on his snout.

"You need to go, now," she said, trying to fight the tears building in her eyes. "It's for the best. This way, no one will find you. And you can feed yourself, and do whatever normal Night Furies do." A few tears escaped, and she let them fall. "And who knows, maybe one day someone will see your fin, see that we don't have to kill each other. Maybe one day we'll figure all of this out." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just promise me, for now, you'll stay away from Berk."

She pulled back and looked at him. He sniffed her, that same concerned look he had whenever she cried. Suddenly, his eyes shifted, as if he had just thought of something. He looked behind him, up in the sky, then back at her. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~_**

Hiccup sat on a boulder, legs crossed, sketching in her book. She was in the spot where her and Ari usually trained. Granted, she had skipped training the past few days, but it was time to clear the air.

After Toothless left, she cried some more. She felt so alone, more so than she had before she met him. She had lost her best friend. Her whole tribe thought she was the incredible dragon fighter, when really, she was quite the opposite. And Ari... She paused at that. Was Ari still her friend? It didn't seem like it. And he knew so much. Granted, probably none of it made sence to him, but it was still dangerous.

But maybe there was a way to get him to understand. Maybe their relationship wasn't completely lost. He obviously still cared for her, considering how he had carried her to her cot that morning. She couldn't tell him the truth, not yet. But she could at least tell him part of it, and apologize for the other night.

So there she was, waiting for him to come out for training. This way, she was sure of catching him, and away from wandering eyes, and more importantly, ears.

She rested her head on her hand, sketching a picture of her and Toothless flying with a careful hand. She would keep all of her drawings in her book from now on, and stow those other pictures away. Toothless was gone, and she didn't want anyone else to possibly see those drawings. She didn't want anyone else asking questions.

Her hand stopped as she felt eyes watching her. Her head snapped up. Ari stood not ten feet in front of her.

He gave her a start. "Geez, you're quiet," she said.

"And you're _fast_," he retorted after a moment.

She shrugged and looked back at her notebook, closing it slowly. "It's the only thing I'm actually good at. Running, I mean."  
When he didn't say anything, she looked back up at him. He wanted her to keep talking, to explain. He was done asking and accusing. It was time for her to talk.

She latched her book to her belt and slid off the rock. She bit her lip nervously. Try not to ramble...

First things first. "I'm sorry about the other night," she said. "I didn't mean a word of it. I know you're not anything like what I said. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was just tired and I wanted to get rid of you." That was partly true. She had needed to get rid of him so he wouldn't find Toothless in the shop. "I guess I just got so caught up in everything that I forgot who my real friends were. Or, friend, I guess. I've been so terrible to you lately and realized, maybe too late, that I could loose you. And i dont want that. I can't. I can't loose you. I've felt more alone today than I have in-" Ari cut her off.

While she was rambling, Ari had stepped closer to her. Now, he had his arms wrapped around her and held her close. He was hugging her. Her face reddened. This was completely unexpected on her end. Such a shock, even, that for several seconds, she just stood there, arms limp and muscles tense.

"You're not alone, Hiccup," he said after a few moments. "Not anymore. You were right when you said i wasn't there for you. No one was, and I can't even imagine. So it makes sense why you would keep secrets and run from crowds and, well, me. Even why you would want to bask in the light. I shouldn't have held that against you. I'm sorry, Hiccup, and I'm here to listen, when you're ready to talk."

She let this sink in. It certainly wasn't what she was expecting. But she didn't know about his vow, or the realizations and resolutions he made seeing her drawings or her troubled, sleeping form at her desk. She didn't know that he almost knew her better than she knew herself, even if he didn't know all the facts behind why she was behaving the way she was. All that she knew was that he was there for her, that he cared about her, and that she wasn't alone.

Slowly, her arms came up and wrapped around his torso. "Thank you," she said into his shoulder. For a moment, they just stood there, locked in each others embrace until she spoke again. "You might be in for an earful. I have this nasty habit of talking."

He laughed and pulled away. "Maybe," he said. "But you're not in the habit of really talking, of saying what you really want, because you're not in the habit of anyone listening." He gestured to the boulder and they both sat down. "So, are you ready to tell me what has been going on in the ring?"

Was she? Should she tell him of her tricks? The worst that could happen would be him telling and her getting disqualified for cheating, which she actually wouldn't mind, even though she wasn't really cheating. She sighed. He had already seen, anyway. And if there was a chance of them fighting the dragons without hurting them...

"I know some... tricks." She studied his reaction. He had been expecting that. She continued. "There are some things that dragons respond to, that they like or don't like, that let you control them."

"So," he said, seeming genuinely interested, "the first time we faced the Zippleback. What was that?"

"Smoked eel," she answered. "They're afraid of it, like its poison or something."

"What about when you pushed the Terror back with your shield?"

"Light reflection on the ground off the shield."

"And when they are flying toward you and just stop, laying in the ground?"

"I call it 'dragon nip'. They go crazy over that stuff."

There was a pause as he thought about it all. "So," he said slowly, "you're... cheating?"

She winced. He didn't seem mad, really. He was even a bit amused, but the question was still acusitory. "Not... cheating, per say. They're just... a different fighting style."

"But you're not fighting," he pointed out.

She sighed again. "No, I guess I'm not."

Another pause. "And what about today? With the Nadder?"

"Well, there is this sensitive part right under their jaw that-"

"Not that," he cut her off. "Well, yes that. But, when you just dropped your weapon and shield in front of it. Why would you do that? And why did it stop? What did you do?"

She shook her head. "The point is that I didn't do anything." His brows furled. She continued, "When a dragon doesn't feel theatened, they won't attack you."

He frowned. "That can't be right. Dragons 'always go for the kill'."

She shook her head again. "I would be dead right now if that were true, wouldn't I?"

This gave him great pause. She could tell he was having some serious internal debate. She turned and let him have his moment, turning to study her twiddling fingers. It was quite the concept. Especially for such a straightforward, stubborn Viking like Ari.

"The dragon," he said finally, summing up his thoughts, "stopped when you dropped your weapon. It even... let you touch it's and... pet it?"

She nodded. "We don't have to fight them, Ari."

He ran his hand down his face. "But then... why would they..."

"I don't know," she said in response to his unasked question. Why would the raid us? Fight us? Kill us? "But, I've been thinking about it. They take a lot of food. Much more than they need." She had a lot of time to observe Toothless, and she fed him everyday. The amount he ate with the amount the dragons took just didn't add up.

He had both hands on his face now. "It doesn't make any sence."

"I know."

"And what you're proposing, that dragons aren't all bad..." He sighed. "It goes against everything we believe in, Hiccup."

She winced. "I know."

"It's traitorous."

She winced again. "I know."

"But you're on to something."

"I kno-" she snapped her head to him. "What?"

He shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his face. "You see the world in a way that's just beyond me, Hiccup. I don't understand it, and I don't even think you quite understand it yet. This discovery or whatever it is you're making, it doesn't change anything, not yet. But maybe one day."

She smiled. "You have no idea how good it feels to have someone on the same page as me."

He shrugged. "I'm more have a broad idea of what page you're on, but I'm glad I can help." He returned her smile, but it soon dropped and his brows furled. "I have another question."

She knew this was coming. She looked away. "And what is that?"  
He scratched the back of his neck, an unusual nervous gesture for him. "I saw some of your drawings, in your room and shop. That black dragon, it's not in the book. And I saw a few black scales on your desk..."

She gave human amused look in spite of the situation. "Were you snooping?"

"I didn't mean to," he said quickly. "And, I mean, you kind of left it laying out of tacked to your wall."

She sighed. "Yeah. In my defense, I wasn't really expecting anyone to find it."

He shrugged. "Well I did. And you also said something this morning, while you were sleeping."

"So that was you," she said quietly. A thought occurred to her. "Did you-" she stopped and bit her lip, blushing.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." _Did you kiss my head?_ Or was that part of the dream? She wasn't sure, but she could have swore that his cheeks were a bit pink.

"Anyway," he went on, "you said something about a Night Fury."

She stood up and took a few steps forward, trying to gather her thoughts. Should she tell him? She has told him pretty much everything else so far. Then again, he was only just getting use to the idea that dragons aren't all what they seem. She had no idea how he would react to her telling him that she rode one, and a Night Fury, no less.

She took a deep breath. "So what's your question?"

There was a few seconds pause. He stood up, and now stood directly behind her. "You really did shoot down that Night Fury, didn't you?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

She spun around and shot him a look. "I did. No one believed me."

His eyes held a regretful look, but neither of them wanted to get into that.

"What happened?" he asked instead.

She turned back around. "It doesn't matter. He's gone."

"What happened, Hiccup?" he repeated.

She sighed and turned around once more, but her eyes state glued to the ground. "I couldn't kill him. I'm not 'Viking' enough, I guess. I mean, I could have, but I couldn't. And then, he could have killed me, but he let me go, because I didn't kill him. And that's what really started all this mess. Why didn't he kill me?"

He reached forward and brushed her bangs away, touching his thumb to where her scar should be. "When you came back from the woods with that head injury, that's when it happened?"

She flushed slightly, a bit thrown off by his touch. "Uhm, yes." She shook he head and pulled away. "I was weak." It had haunted her forever, how she hadn't the power to kill, hadnt the power to be a real Viking.

He laughed softly. "No Hiccup, you were brave. You went out and faced the most deadly dragon known to us by yourself. You were stupid, but you were very brave." They shared a smile. "I have one more question for you."

She exhaled loudly and rubbed her eyes. "What else?"

"How did you learn all of those tricks?"

_By watching that Night Fury that kept and helped and learned to ride..._ There was really no way to answer this question without telling him everything. He wasn't ready for that yet, nor was she ready to tell it.

"I'm all question and answered out," she said with a sigh. "But, maybe one day I'll tell you."

He nodded, understanding. "Okay, Hiccup."

She smiled. "I might even show you a few."

He raised his eyebrows. "You sure about that? Wouldn't want me to steal your title, would you?"

She laughed and gave a dismissive wave. "Please. You can have it. I don't even deserve it. I mean, I'm cheating, aren't I?"

He shrugged. "Not cheating, per say. I'd call it 'a different fighting style'."

"But I'm not fighting."

"No," he said with a smile, "you're not." She mirrored his expression.

"Speaking of fighting," he unsheathed his axe, "you've skipped a number of training days, haven't you?"

She groaned. "What's with you and training?"

He waved a finger. "Never underestimate the power of training."

"I think I like cheating better."

All day, ever since Toothless flew away, Hiccup had felt alone. But that was silly. She was never alone, not anymore. And right then, she felt as far as you could get from it.

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~_**

**_Omg guys, where did Toothless go?! Well, I think a lot of people have figured it out already, but if not, stay tuned!_**

**_Just a little shout out to all of my reviewers... YOU GUYS ROCK. Seriously. And wow, this story has gotten way more popular than I thought. Over 4000 views, like 35 follows... Seriously, it's amazing. Y'all snake me so happy..._**

**_And remember, I love reviews! Even if you just say something like 'I liked' or whatever, reviews make my day. :)_**

**_Alright, quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Alvin!_**

**_"Behold, the descendent of Grimmbeard! And how pathetic she is."_**

**_Till Friday!_**

**_~StoriesOfAnInsomniac_**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Happy Friday!_**

**_Wow, I've really been failing at posting first thing in the morning lately. Hm. Hope this chapter was worth he the wait. :)_**

**_~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

"Drop your weapon."

They were back in the ring, being the next morning. They were facing the Nadder again, this time with some barriors set up that they could hide behind. Hide, sneak, and strike. Hiccup had something else in mind.

"What?" Ari asked her, panting due to running around. They were both crouched behind the same barrior on the far end of the arena, where no one could see them well. Ari wasn't sure he heard her right.

"Drop your weapon," she repeated, panting as well. Nope, he heard right. "Let her find you, and when she charges, drop it."

"Are you insane?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just do it!"

He shook his head fiercly. "No."

"She'll attack you if you don't!"

"And how can I be sure she won't if I do?" Their voices were harsh whispers, not wanting to attract the dragon.

"Well, she didn't kill me!"

"That's different. You're the 'Dragon Whisperer' here, not me."

She huffed in irritation and fell back against the barrier. Unfortunately, this made a loud enough noise to attract the dragon's attention. They both peered over the top. The Nadder squawked and turned, cocking it's head to the side as it looked in their direction.

Ari shot her a look. "You did that on purpose."

Though it really was unintentional, she took it further. She smiled deviously. "Wait until you see this." With that, she stood and turned to the dragon, waving her arms and shouting at it. The dragon squawked again and started toward them.

Ari pulled her roughly to the ground. "No time for that," she said, cutting off his would be rant. "She's coming." With all the strength she could muster, she shoved Ari out from behind the barrier.

He rolled out on the ground, but quickly scrambled to his feet. Right in the line of the dragon. He raised his axe.

"Drop it!" Hiccup ordered. "Look into her eyes, Ari. She won't hurt you if she thinks that you won't hurt her!"

Ari hesitated. The dragon was almost upon him. "Drop it!" Hiccup told him once more. He didn't even really think. His fingers opened wide and the axe dropped to the ground.

The dragon pulled up. Ari held his hands up, showing them empty. He stood there, completely mezmorized as the dragon turned her head to the side to examine him, humming curiously.

"Good," Hiccup whispered. "Now breathe." He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, but it was shaky. Hiccup kept talking. "She knows you're scared. It's okay. She is too." As if confirming this, the Nadder huffed and shook her body a bit. "Now, slowly extend a hand out to her."

He swallowed hard and, after a moment, did as she said. She squawked and took a step back. "Slower," Hiccup told him. "Offer your hand to her and look away." He looked at her. Offer his hand? Was she insane? He had half a mind to forget all of it and pick up his axe. But Hiccup had kept him alive so far, an it's not like she was trying to get him killed. Plus, she had done this before. He drew another breath, this one less shakey, then looked back at the dragon. The dragon gazed back. he could see the fear in her eyes, but also the curiousity. Just like him. He looked away and held out his hand.

It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. But then, he felt the cool touch of the Nadder's scales on his hand. He let out a breath of disbelief and looked back at the now cooing dragon.

"Perfect," Hiccup breathed. "Now, pet her. Softly, slowly. Work your way to her neck." He did so. The dragon hummed in pleasure. "Now do what I did yesterday. Scratch around her neck, then squeeze right under her jaw line."  
He started scratching. He laughed quietly, nervously, as the dragon leaned into him, purring. He continued this for a few seconds, then squeezed right where Hiccup told him to.

The Nadder collapsed. He stared at his hands, his eyes full of amazement and disbelief. He turned to Hiccup, who was now standing next to him, beaming. His broad smile was infectious, and Hiccup found herself smiling too. The crowd cheered, pulling them from their moment as they looked up and around. But Ari brought it right back.

He was laughing, and suddenly he had his arms around her. He picked her up and spun her around, and then Hiccup was laughing too, her arms wrapped around his neck. He set her down and they looked at each other, faces still lit with happiness. Her hands rested on his shoulders. His rested on her waist. They were suddenly very aware of how close they were.

"Now tha's wha I call teamwork!" Gobber exclaimed as he came up and grabbed each one by the shoulder, effectively breaking them apart and unknowingly sparring them of any awkwardness. "I guess yer both winners today! But remember, tomorrow's the last day of training. The elder will decide who will be the one to kill the dragon day after, so it's each Viking for themselves!"

Hiccup's face fell at that. She had been doing good in training. Too good. She hadnt thought through her whole doing 'tricks' in training thing very well. Now she was one of the two to be picked, and it would most likely be her. All of these seemingly miraculous things she had been doing was sure to not have escaped the notice of Gothi.

Ari would just have to win tomorrow, then. He had to. Elder Gothi had to choose him. She didn't want him to have to kill a dragon, but there was no way she ever could.

**_~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~_**

"I'm serious, we need to start telling people about this."  
Hiccup was trying her best to listen to Ari as they walked away from the ring, but her thoughts were elsewhere. "Yeah," she said absentmindedly.

"I mean, just how she let me touch her. It was amazing. And neither of us hurt the other."

"Yeah."

"And who knows. Maybe one day things could change."

"Sure."

He turned to her. "Are you listening, Hiccup?"

She nodded. "That would be nice."

"Hiccup." He stopped and grabbed her arm, finally getting her attention. He could see the distress in her eyes, the far away thoughts. "What's wrong?"

She pulled away from him. "It's nothing," she said, eyes cast to the side.

He turned his head to try and catch her gaze. "Tell me," he prompted.

She turned her eyes to find his waiting. "It's just," she sighed, "I guess I'm just worried about tomorrow."

His brows knit. "Tomorrow? The final day of training?"

She nodded. "Yes. After that is the final exam."

"You don't-" he blinked. "Oh." He was a smart boy. "You're worried Gothi will choose you."

She sighed again. "I guess I really didn't think through this whole 'doing good in training' thing very well."

He thought for a moment. "It will be fine. You can use your tricks on the Nightmare, make him pass out, then take your sword and-"

"That's just it," she cut him off. "The tricks I can do; distracting them, making them faint... But, I just-" she looked down in defeat. "I can't kill them."

There was a pause. When he spoke again his voice was much lower. "Is this about the Night Fury?"

Her head snapped up. He was _very_ smart. Of course, part of it was that every time she looked at a dragon she saw Toothless, which made her heart ache, and also impossible to kill a dragon. Plus, she knew that dragons weren't what they seemed, that they were the complete opposite and could live in peace. But she couldn't really tell him that, so she told him the part he could hear.

"Yes," she admitted. "When I found him, he was caught in my ropes. I could have- I could've killed him. But I didn't. I couldn't. I- I let him get away." She shook her head. "I could never kill that dragon tomorrow. I couldn't even kill a helpless one."

"They're just dragons, Hiccup," he said after a moment. "It's not like you're killing a person."

_He doesn't get it_. Even after what he had just witnessed and done in training. But that wasn't enough to change his thoughts. Ari was stubborn. Of course he didn't think killing dragons was a big deal. He hadn't seen anything to convince him otherwise.

"If it really bothers you that much," he said, his eyes showing a hint of curiosity and concern, "why not drop out?"

"I don't think you can do that," she said. "Even if you could, I would break the 'deal' I made with my dad. I would dishonor him."

"Well," he shrugged, "you'll just have to lose tomorrow, then maybe she won't pick you."

"Yeah, I guess," she said, not at all convinced.

"Hey," he stepped closer, forcing her to look up, "you'll be okay." His arms came around her, holding her close. "I promise."

This was the second time he had hugged her. It still felt foreign, it being a form of comfort that she wasn't used to. Not only that, but it confused her. Was it a sign of affection? Did he... did he like her? She had never been held like that by anyone else, and she didn't see Ari freely giving hugs around the village. It all made her head spin. The only thing she could be absolutely sure about was that she liked it. Even though it didn't change anything about their current situation, it felt nice to have him there.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Thank you."

In answer, he pulled away and gave her a half smile. "Come on," he said. "Lets go to the Mead Hall." He took a few steps forward, but stopped when she didn't follow. "You coming?"

"Uh..." She really had no desire to go in there. She never got to eat lunch in peace with all of those people surrounding her, asking her questions and fighting to sit by her. That was another thing she hadn't taken into account. She thought she would like the attention. But, the way they were acting, they were just followers, not actual friends. It made her very uncomfortable. "You go ahead. I think I'll just go for a walk or something."

She could tell he understood. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," she insisted. "You go eat. I'll meet you later for training." Besides, she needed to go pick some things up that she couldn't see...

He nodded. "Okay, Hiccup." He walked away, but not before calling over his shoulder, "If you skip again I'll tell Gobber you're cheating."

"Do it," Hiccup called back, "then we'll both get disqualified, cheater."

He flashed his trademark smirk, and then he was gone.

_**~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup sighed as she walked through the forest toward the cove. She had nothing better to do, and she really needed to pick up that riding gear on the off chance that someone else found it. She took her usual route, but much slower than normal. She wasn't in any hurry. It's not like anything was waiting for her there, not anymore anyway.

When she finally got there, she hopped down gently. All of her movements were slow. It wasn't because she was tired. No, in fact, the previous night she had gotten the best sleep she'd had in weeks. But her head was heavy with thought. She didn't know what she would do if she was picked to kill the dragon. Not only that, but just the cove itself. It made her sad. Everything reminded her of Toothless. She almost felt lost without him. He had been such a huge part of her life one minute, and then the next he was gone. She should have prepared herself for it, should have known that day would come eventually, but something in her heart prevented her from doing that. Something in her heart hoped and dreamed about a future where that day wouldn't come.

She sighed again as she knelt down in front of the saddle. But it had. He was gone. They were both where they were supposed to be. So then why did it feel so wrong?

She stroked the hard leather with a sad smile. She could almost feel him there. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend like he was sneaking up to pounce on her now...

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her eyes flashed open. Wait.

In a flash, she started to stand and spin around, but was knocked over by a very large, very black blur.

Toothless wrapped her up in his paws and wings and rolled around, humming, obviously pleased with himself.

"Toothless?" Hiccup exclaimed. He kept rolling. "Toothless! Toothless, stop!"

He released her. She laid flat on the ground on her back and he stood over her, then proceeded licking her face several times. His actions spoke loud and clear: _Where have you been?!_

She pushed his head away and propped herself up on her elbows. "Where have you been?" she asked. "Why are you here?"

In answer, he opened his mouth. Something landed in her lap. "Oh, please, not another-" But it wasn't a regurgitated fish. It was, they were...

"My mother's necklaces," she said in disbelief. She sat up and took them in her hands. They were slimy, covered in Toothless spit, but there they were.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "You- you found them. That's why you left, to find them." She put a hand on his snout. "You knew how much they meant to me."

He cooed and pressed his snout to her head. She giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "You're amazing, Toothless." She pulled back and kissed his head. "Thank you." He cooed in pleasure.

The sad smile returned to her face. "You should go now," she said, gently pushing at him. He gave her a curious look. She gestured at his fin. "The whole point of me making you that fin was so that you could fly away without me. You can't stay here."

He gave the tail a look, lifting it. Suddenly, he slammed the prosthetic into a boulder. Before she could stop him, he slammed it again. "Toothless stop! What are you doing?!" She scrambled over and grabbed his tail before he could slam it again. She assessed the damage. "You broke it," she concluded, looking at him. "Why would you do that?"

He huffed. Pulling away from her, he bounded over to the riding gear, picked it up, then bounded back. He pushed it at her.

"You... You want to fly with me?" He huffed again and dropped the gear in front of her. He started licking her face again. Again, she knew exactly what he was saying. _YES! _

In the back of her mind, she knew that this was the exact opposite of what they were supposed to be doing. She knew that they were going backwards, that it would all be complicated, but she pushed those thoughts away. Right then, she was with her best friend, and that's all that mattered.

She giggled again. "Alright, alright!" She pushed him back. "You ready for something crazy?"

**_~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

Stoick stepped onto the dock, tired, worn out, and completely pissed off.

The boats were badly damaged. Many were injured. They failed.

"I trust you at least found the nest then?" His best friend Gobber asked as he came to great the large man.

Stoick stalked right past him. "Not even close."

Gobber shrugged. "Well, better luck next time."

Stoick sighed heavily. "Anything important happen while we were away?" He had only just stepped on the island of Berk and already he was back into the role of Cheif, not that he ever wasn't.

"Well, other than the fact that your parenting troubles are over with, not really."

Stoick didn't have a chance to ask him what he meant. Just then, several people came down the docks, talking to him and clapping him on the shoulder as they went by.

"Congratulations, Stoick! Everyone is so relieved!"

"Yeah, no one will miss tha' old nusience!"

"Out with the old and in with the new!"

"The village is throwin a party to celebrate!"

Stoick turned to Gobber, confusion and fear in his eyes. "She's gone?"

Gobber shrugged. "Well, yeah. Most afternoons. But who can blame her? The life of a celebrity is very hard."

"Hiccup?" Stoick asked in disbelief, gabbing his friend's shoulder to stop him.

Gobber's eyes were bright. "Who would've thought it, eh? She has this... way with the beasts."

Stoick looked ahead, trying to wrap his mind around the news. Little did either of them know how wrong they were, or just how true Gobber's words rang.

**_~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~_**

She was wrong. Hiccup was wrong in thinking that she belonged in the village to live the life of a normal Viking. Right there, high in the sky on the back of Toothless, was right where she belonged. Right where they belonged, together.

"Okay buddy, you ready?" she shouted over the wind. He rolled his shoulders and gave a nod. "Let's do this!"

She clicked the stirrup and they moved in a sharp downward angled. She clicked it again and the spun. She laughed. He roared.

They sped toward the water. She shifted her foot and they pulled up sharply, coming so close that they got sprayed with the most of the salty sea. Then they were climbing, hard and fast.

"Okay buddy, this is where it gets crazy! Follow my lead!" They kept climbing until they were higher than she ever had gone.

"And stop!" He did. Everything was still as they floated. "Tuck in your wings, don't move," she undid her harness, "and fall straight!"

They were ready for it this time. They were smooth and straight. They were free falling together, facing each other, down toward the earth. Toothless roared, this time not out of fear, but happiness. Hiccup cried out in joy as well, the adrenaline poaring through her veins. And it was just them, no one else around to hear, as their cries were lost in the wind as they sped by.

The ground was getting closer. She angled herself and gripped the saddle. She fought the wind and forced herself on, latching herself in. She clicked the stirrup and Toothless, taking that as his cue, opened his wings.

They came close, very close, to the tree line. It was reckless. It was crazy. But it was amazing. Neither of them regretted it. She didn't know how old Toothless was, but she was young. Vikings were supposed to do reckless and crazy things when they were young, right? Now that she thought about it, some of them did reckless and crazy things when they were old, too. Sitting there on the back of her Night Fury, she knew she would be one of those people, because flying never got old.

They were gliding calmly now, moving through the clouds in the afternoon sun. It was peaceful, such a change of pace from a few moments before.

"That was amazing," Hiccup exclaimed. Toothless hummed in agreement. "And so is this." She breathed in the crisp air and sighed loudly with a smile. "Let's do this for a while." Toothless was happy to oblige.

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

"Okay, I've almost got it."

They landed in the cove a long while later. Toothless laid in to the side of Hiccup, watching intently as she fastened the bracelets back to his wrist.

"There!" she said. "All fixed. I'd like to see those try and fall off." Toothless thanked her with a lick. "Yeah, yeah." She tried to rub all the slobber off her face. "You know, you've really got to find some other ways of expressing yourself. The licking thing is kind of gross." He huffed.

She glanced up at the position of the sun. She sighed. "I have to get going. Training with Ari, you know. He's pretty anal about that." Toothless huffed again and rest his head in her lap. "Oh come on, I'm going to be late as it is." She pushed at his head. "Get off me you stupid lizard."

Once she stood up, Toothless stood up with her. Standing there, his saddle on and her mothers necklaces secure, he looked exactly as he should have. He looked like her Night Fury, and he was that by choice.

He pushed his head to her stomach. She laughed softly and pet his head. "Don't worry, I'll be back." She would be. She knew now that she couldn't give him up. She was going to figure it out, why everything was all messed up. She would find a way for them to stay together, to eventually bring peace between Vikings and dragons, even if it meant she had to leave for a while.

She had decided this. If she got picked by Gothi, she would have to leave. She couldn't kill the dragon, but she couldn't convince anyone of anything without any facts. She would have to go figure things out. It made her heart ache. She would be leaving so much behind. Everything she ever knew. Her father. Ari...

"We'll be alright," she said, more so for herself than for him. "I promise."

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

Later that night, Hiccup rest her head on her desk, playing with her pencil. Her body was sore, not only from training, but the flight as well. Flying was and amazing workout. She couldn't help but think that Ari would love it.

Her head hurt as well, it being full of thought. She was think about what she had to prepare in case she needed to leave the next. She also wondered what she would say to Ari, if anything at all. And her father. Maybe she should write him a note?

A loud noise pulled her attention to the door. She watched in puzzlement as her father squeezed through it. Then he was standing there, somewhat awkwardly, in front of her.

Her first thought was how comical it looked for such a large man as him to be in her tiny little room. She snapped back into focus. "Dad!" She stood quickly, trying to brush the pictures of Toothless that she hadnt his yet behind her. "You- your back! What are- what're you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Hello to you too, Hiccup. I believe you have something to tell me."

Her heart rate rose. "What're you talking about...?"

"I thinks you know what I'm talking about." He seemed angry. "How long did you think you could keep it from me?"

"Uhm..." He didn't- he couldn't know about Toothless, right?

"Nothing goes on around this island without me hearin about it." She grabbed a chair and set it in front of him. "So," he said as he sat on it backwards, "lets talk an bout that dragon."

_He knows. Oh Gods, he knows. How? How did he find out?_ She cursed the heavens silently, but on the outside she deflated. "Oh Gods, dad. I can explain, really-" she was cut off as Stoick started laughing, a hearty Viking laugh that seemed to erupt from within him. She joined in nervously. "You're, you're not mad?"

"What?" he exclaimed. "I was hoping for this! Oh Thor Almighty!"

Now she was lost. Her father wanted her so befriend a Night Fury and betray her tribe? "Uhm..."

"You really had me goin there," he went on. "All those years as the worst Viking Berk had ever seen, and now you're placing first in dragon training?" Oh. So that's what this was about. His words stung. He was just like the rest of them. "Odin, it was rough, I almost gave up on ya but you came through."

"Uhm... Yeah. I-I guess..."

He was still beaming. "And with you doing so well in the ring, we finally have something to talk about."

Silence. Very awkward silence. He even scooted closer, but neither said anything for several more seconds.

"Oh," her father said suddenly. "I brought something for ya." He pulled out a helmet and handed it to her. "I was your mothers."

It was a beautiful helmet, very well made. Simple and strong, a horn on either side. She ran her hand along it, admiring the craftmenship. "It's half of her breast plate." Hiccup pulled her hand back as if it were made of hot coals at her fathers words.

He points to his own helmet. "Matching set. Keeps her... Keeps her close, you know?"

"Uhm, yeah..." The thought was nice, at least. Before anything else happened, she desided to end the conversation, or lack thereof. She faked a yawn and stretched. "Well I should, uh, I should get to bed."

Stoick stood, stammering just as much as her. "Right. I should let you... Let you rest..." He moved to the door.

"Thanks for the talk and-"

"Yes, good talk-"

"And the uh... The breast hat..."

"That hat." Stoick clapped his hands together. "I best be goin' then." He moved to the door, but she stopped him.

"Wait," she said. She stepped forward and hugged him, just like she had the night he left. "I'm glad your home safe, daddy."

His arms came around her. "Good to be here." He let go and kelt down to her level. "And your going to do great tomorrow. I can't wait to see my little girl win the honor of killing her first dragon." He stood and move to the doorway. Before he left, he turned his head and said one last thing that broke her heart. "Your mother would be proud."

While Stoick left feeling better than he had in years, Hiccup was quite the opposite. She slumped in her chair, clouded in grief as tears sprang to her eyes.

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

**_Yay! Hiccup and Toothless are reunited! Nothing can separate them now! Well... Almost nothing..._**

**_Can anyone guess what the next chapter is? :D_**

**_Okay! Quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Camacazi!_**

**_"Your name is Snotlout? Huh. I could dig it, hot stuff."_**

**_Oh yes, I went there. :)_**

**_Till Monday! Cheers!_**

**_~StoriesOfAnInsomniac_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Loooooong chapter. Like, 6,000 words. And I updated on time! 6 am on the dot! :D**_

_**To my faithful reviewers... YOU GUYS ROCK. 3**_

_**Glad you guys enjoyed the Gift of Night Fury bit I threw in there! My baby sister gave me the idea for that, actually. She is so clever. 3**_

_**Gosh I've been looking forward to this chapter. Enjoy! :)**_

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

"That a girl, Hiccup! Give that dragon hell!"

Hiccup' smile was more of a grimace as she waved up at her over enthusiastic father. He was known for being very loud, and now he proved it. She couldn't really blame him. She had been a screw up, a hopeless cause, and now she was placing first in training. Of course he would be that way. However, it was incredibly distracting.

She adjusted the helmet on her head and ducked behind a barrier. Because the whole 'hide and strike' thing had failed the previous day, they were doing it again, this time with the Gronkle. But she was determined not to touch the dragon. She had to lose. She had to stay out of the way...

Ari appeared next to her, panting. The Gronkle had chased him for a while, but Ari had managed to disappear among the barriers. He peered over the wood, monitoring the dragon's movements.

"I thought training was supposed to improve your endurance," Hiccup remarked at his shortness of breath, a small smile on her face. "You must be slacking off."

Instead of the glare and smart remark she expected back, she got a blank glance, an acknowledgement, and, "Stay out of the way."

She blinked, taken aback by the comment. It didn't seem like he was challenging her or trying to be mean, but it still hurt. It confused her. But before she could replay, he was gone, summer saluting between barriers.

Ari was headed in the direction he had seen the dragon go. He had to get to him. He had to knock him out. He had to win.

Taking a deep breath, he stood and jumped over the barrier, charging toward the-

Nothing. The dragon wasn't there. Suddenly, a deafening cheer filled the air. He spun around to find the dragon lying on the ground, Hiccup standing next to him.

Hiccup stared down at the dragon. What had she done? She was supposed to _lose. _But she had just won. Why did the Gods hate her? She hadn't a choice. The Gronkle had charged right at her. But now what was she to do? She looked up, locking eyes with Ari. He looked angry. _Very _angry. Anger flushed through her as well, as well as confusion. Had he really wanted to win so bad? For her to lose? Did he even care about the predicament that this put her in?

She was pulled from her thoughts as Gobber ushered the two of them on either side of him.

"Quiet everyone!" she heard Stoick call. "The elder has decided."

Gobber raised his hook above Ari's head. The Elder shook her head, earning a few murmurs and gasps from the crowd. Gobber then pointed down at Hiccup. The Elder nodded.

The crowd roared.

"That's my girl!" Her father called.

"You did it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!" came Gobber.

But she wasn't listening to them. She kept her gaze on Ari, and he did the same. She could still see the anger, the frustration. But could he see? Could her see the fear in hers? The devastation?

They stayed that way until the other teens came and picked Hiccup up, cheering her. She put on a fake smile then, trying to look excited. But in her mind, she pondered over Ari's odd behavior, and making preparations for her departure.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

"What the hell was that?"

Hiccup turned to face Ari. Most everyone had filed out. Hiccup had been in the process of that, too, until Ari had stopped her in the stone archway at the exit.

She glared at him. "I could ask you the same question," she shot back. "'Stay out of the way'? What the hell was _that_?"

"You were supposed to lose. I needed to win," he responded.

"So that's what this is about," she stepped forward. "You wanted to win. Maybe you are like what I said. Are you jealous?"

He stepped forward as well, forcing her to look up and him down. "You have no idea what this is about."

"Then please, enlighten me."

He took a deep breath, trying to control himself. "I was trying to _protect _you, Hiccup."

Once again, his words took her aback. "What?" she asked after a moment, her voice softer.

He sighed. "For whatever your reason is, you can't kill dragons. Of course I wanted to win, but that's not the point here. You're scared, more so than you should be. Whatever happened with that Night Fury changed you."

"So I'm suppose to believe that you were trying to do me a favor?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Because I promised you'd be alright."

He had promised that. He understood her dilemma, not being able to kill dragons. He really was trying to help her.

"And now you have to kill the Nightmare," he went on. "I can't help you there, Hiccup. You've closed all of my doors."

She groaned and put her face in her hand, finally calming down. "I didn't have a choice," she mumbled. "He was coming right at me." She sighed. "What am I going to do now?"

Ari's heart softened. He put his arms around her and pulled her to him. Hiccup was glad that she was covering her face, hiding the blush that had started to form. Yet another display of affection from Ari. Not only did it confuse her, but it hurt to know that she might not ever find out what he meant by it all.

"You'll be alright," he said. "I'll be right here cheering you on, and if anything goes wrong, I'll jump in. Just use your tricks and you'll kill him no problem."

She shook her head against his chest. "I can't do it."

He sighed and pulled back to look at her. "Why?"

She shrugged. "You know why."

"No," he shook his head, "I don't. I know pieces. I know how you've been winning. I know something happened with the Night Fury. But I don't understand why you can't kill. There's one piece of this puzzle you're not telling me, on piece that explains it all." He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Tell me?"

She took a step back, her eyes cast down. "I can't."

"Why not?" he asked, frustrated.

"I just can't. You wouldn't understand."

"Hiccup, why-"

She cut him off. "I have to go now."

"What?" He asked after a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I just have to go." She started walking away.

He reached out to her. "Hiccup, wai-"

She pulled away from him. "I just need to be alone right now, okay?"

And then she was gone, running out of the entrance toward her house to get her things. She and Toothless were out of there.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Ari silently made his way through the forest. Part of him wanted to find Hiccup to comfort her. She had been really upset. She needed someone with her, to remind her she wasn't alone. The other part, however, wanted answers.

What did she do in the woods? For the past several weeks, she had disappeared in the trees right after training. Though he wasn't proud of it, he had tried to follow her more than once. But she always ran, and the forest was so big. He always lost her. But this time...

He entered the forest not far from their ideal training location. He cast his eyes down, searching for any sort of track. And then... Right there...

A scrap in the ground. And another further off. Not made by any animal. Too regular. Too deep. He followed it. The further he went, the more worn the ground became. It was a path. Someone had gone through that way regularly.

He couldn't contain the smile that grew on his face. Hiccup had gone to wherever she went the exact same way everyday. He was going to have to train her on survivor skills, too.

It was a good trek, a few miles. He had no trouble following the worn trail and random scrape marks. Hiccup must had dragged something through there, something heavy or awkward. He wondered what it could have been.

His thoughts moved back to Hiccup's secrets. What was she hiding? Where did she learn those tricks? What was she doing in the woods? Why wouldn't she tell him? His first thought, and only thought really, was that she was training. But how? Who was teaching her? Someone from the tribe? Maybe an old hermit hiding out in the woods? He was determined to find out.

He came up on a drop. He stepped out to the edge and looked over a cove of sorts. This was where the trail ended. That, and there was a shield stuck between two boulders. Yup, this was where Hiccup went everyday. He climbed down and hopped over the shield.

He didn't see any hermit. He didn't see anything. The cove was quiet. All he could see were a few broken branches, a fire pit or two, evidence that Hiccup had been there. There was a strange burn mark on the ground, evidence that a dragon had been there at one point. Nothing to special about the area. So why did Hiccup Go there everyday? He hadn't a clue.

He was just debating whether to leave or stay and wait for Hiccup when a sound stopped all thought and movement dead.

A low growl sounded directly behind him, followed by a huff that blew his hair flat against his head. There was... a dragon... right behind him. His hand barely moved toward his axe and the dragon growled again.

He couldn't move, couldn't defend himself. The dragon had him held in place. It would kill him at any attempt to strike. He stayed put, every breath of the dragon blowing his hair and raising his heartbeat, waiting for the dragon to blow him to pieces.

But it didn't. For several minutes, they stayed as they were. Why wouldn't the dragon kill him?

"_If a dragon doesn't feel threatened, they won't attack you."_

So then, according to Hiccup, the dragon didn't feel threatened by him. He still felt like one false move would be the end of him. But he knew nothing about this dragon, not even what kind it was. He had no idea what would set it off. The growling seemed to be a good start. It seemed to use that as warning.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he started to turn around. Running didn't seem like an option, so facing the dragon was the only thing he could do. Baby step by baby step, he came to stand in front of the beast.

He had to look up to meet the piercing green eyes staring down at him. It wasn't that big compared to other dragons, but still very powerful looking. Impressive wing span. And the scales, black as night. It all registered in less than a second. This was a Night Fury. _The _Night Fury.

The dragon held his gaze, daring him to make a move. Each breath now blew his hair back into it's messy standupish way it usually sat. He knew the dragon wouldn't be the first to move. Carefully, he broke the eye contact and looked the whole dragon over. He was just as Hiccup drew him. Almost. Everything except...

What was he wearing? One look over and he knew it was one of Hiccup's creations. It almost looked like a... saddle? The dragon had a saddle? So, did that mean that Hiccup... rode the Night Fury?

That wasn't the only thing. His eyes caught something colorful on the Night Fury's paw. Beads. They were beads. He recognized these beads.

"_Mother's necklaces..."_

The dragon wore Vallharama's necklaces at his wrist. But she had lost them, right? Perhaps not. Or she found them again.

"_I lost them while on Toothless..."_

Toothless... At first the sentence hadn't made sense to him. He didn't think it meant anything. But now...

"T-Toothless?" he asked, unable to stop the stutter.

The dragon reacted. His eyes shifted to a curious, skeptical look and his ear flaps perked up. He obviously knew the word. Was that his name?

"Toothless," he said again. "That's you?" He pointed at him.

A few seconds passed, but then the dragon gave a curt nod. Ari let out a nervous laugh of disbelief. The dragon came lower then, stepping forward, forcing Ari back. He kept moving, pushing Ari back into a boulder. Ari kept scrambling back, moving on top of the boulder. Toothless followed him, putting his front paws on the rock on either side of him. Ari didn't dare move any farther. Then, doing what was least expected, Toothless leaned forward and started sniffing Ari.

Ari didn't know it, but the only reason he wasn't being sat on while Toothless waited for his human was because he smelled like Toothless' human. Because Ari had hugged Hiccup before, he smelled like her. Toothless had yet to decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Right then, while the dragon was occupied, Ari thought he could have reached behind him, pulled his axe out, and buried it in the dragon's skull. But... something stopped him. This dragon, Toothless, wasn't attacking him. And this was, dare he say it, _Hiccup's dragon. _Toothless wore a saddle, and now he could see that it was attached to a prosthetic fin on it's tail, that design he had seen on Hiccup's desk. He was also wearing Hiccup's mother's necklaces. Hiccup's mother had been killed by dragons. The fact that a dragon was now wearing them, put there by none other than Hiccup, was mind blowing in itself.

This was what Hiccup did everyday. She came out there and rode a Night Fury. She helped it fly, built it a new tail fin. She befriended a dragon. He couldn't wrap his brain around it.

Toothless pulled back then. He sat in front of the rock, resuming his staring contest with Ari. Ari, once again, didn't dare move. All he could do then was wait for Hiccup.

That might not be too far off, he gathered in relief as he heard rustling to the side of him. Hiccup was climbing down into the cove. Toothless heard it as well. He looked away from the boy, toward Hiccup, then jumped behind the boulder Ari sat on.

"Alright Toothless," Hiccup said as she set foot on the floor of the cove, "we're out of here. Leaving. We're leaving."

Ari watched her every move, not saying anything as she made her way closer to him. She was talking to the dragon. And what was she wearing? Some complicated belt, by the looks of it, that had rings to latch onto something. _Riding gear._

She set down a large sack she was carrying. "Lets pack up," she spoke again, looking around the cove. "Looks like you and me are going on a little vacation." She waited, as if expecting a response, then groaned and moved in a defensive position. "Toothless, this is the third time in a row. Do we seriously have to play this game every time I get here?"

Suddenly, that dragon jumped from behind the boulder, over Ari, and tackled Hiccup. In a flash, Ari stood, ripping his axe out of it's holder. He was about to jump in and attack the dragon when...

The sight before him stopped him. Toothless had wrapped Hiccup up in his paws and wings and was rolling around, cooing and humming happily. Hiccup wasn't crying out, not seeming to be bothered by it at all. Perhaps annoyed. But as Toothless released her, a smile was easily seen on her face. Toothless licked her. Hiccup let him once and then pushed at his head.

"Alright you stupid lizard, get off me." He complied after a moment, then turned to Ari. Immediately, he crouched low and growled. Ari was holding his axe. "Toothless, wha-" Hiccup looked in Ari's direction as well. His mouth hung open. He dropped his axe. Hiccup's face went white. For several moments, neither said anything. Then, hiccup spoke for the both of them.

"Shit."

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Ari was pacing in front of Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup sat cross legged, waiting anxiously for him to speak. Toothless sat next to her, looking at him with a certain indifference.

The tension was killing her. "So," she spoke up, "I see you've met the missing piece of the puzzle." He shot her a look, then continued pacing. Hiccup shut her mouth.

It was several more minutes until he spoke. He ran both hands through his hair and looked at her. "This is the Night fury you shot down."

She nodded.

"You didn't kill him. He didn't kill you."

She nodded again.

"You hurt his tail, so you fixed it for him"

Nod.

"Then you built a saddle."

Nod.

"And now you ride this dragon?"

"Toothless," she corrected. He just continued pacing. She sighed. "Yes to it all. It's like i was explaining to you. Toothless is my friend. We don't have to fight-"

"No," he said suddenly. "You didn't explain this to me at all." He ran his hand through his hair again. "I was just getting used to the idea that there were these tricks, that dragons could be manipulated, that we didn't always have to fight them, that something was weird about it all. But this?" He shook his head vigorously. "No. You are _riding _a _Night Fury. _You said we were on the same page but we're not even close. You're like, in a completely different book."

Hiccup bit her lip, despite it all trying to control a smile threatening to form. It was just so comical, seeing Ari so frazzled. It was so out of character for him. Pacing back and forth, nervously messing up his hair, so confused. She almost felt bad for him.

"Careful," she said. "You're forming a rut in the ground."

He stopped and looked at the flattened grass, then her. He put his head in his hands with a sigh. "I can't- I can't do this right now." He turned and picked up his axe, sheathed it, then ran out of the cove.

"Ari, wait!" Hiccup called out. But he was already at the entrance. "And we're dead."

Toothless huffed and stalked away in the other direction. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think you're going?" she called after him.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

It took a minute of convincing, but then they were off. Ari hadn't made it far. They caught him just as he was jumping off a fallen tree. They dove down and Toothless grabbed his arm by his paw. Ari yelped in surprise as he was lifted into the air. They climbed higher, above the tree line.

Ari cast his eyes down at the shrinking trees. "Oh, Great Odin's Ghost," he cried. "Oh, this is it." He screamed, long and loud, as he clawed at Toothless paw trying to get a more secure grip.

But to no avail. Toothless let him go, throwing him onto a tree branch. Ari gripped to it so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Toothless and Hiccup landed just above him, bending the top of the tree.

"Hiccup!" Ari called, his eyes wide in fear. "Get me down from here!"

"Please," Hiccup pleaded, "Just let me explain!"

"No, Hiccup!" he responded. "Not this time!"

"Then I won't speak!" she offered. "Just let me show you." she gestured to the saddle.

Ari opened his mouth to refuse, but the objection died on his lips. Show him? Like, ride on the Night Fury? Fly? The thought terrified him, but was also coupled with an overwhelming feeling of curiosity. Fly? It _was _the only way down, he justified.

Smoothly, he climbed up on the branch. He stood, then gripped the saddle. He shared a glare with Toothless, then hopped on. "Now get me down," he said.

"Toothless," Hiccup addressed the dragon, "down. _Gently._" Toothless opened his wings. She turned back to Ari. "See?" she said.

"Nothing to worry about." But Toothless had something else in mind.

They shot into the sky, climbing hard and fast. Ari was screaming, barely holding on to the saddle. "Toothless!" Hiccup cried. "What are you doing?" They leveled out. Ari managed to scramble forward and wrap his arms tightly around Hiccup's waist. He closed his eyes tightly and buried his face in her shoulder as they started spinning.

"And now the spinning..." Hiccup said in annoyance. "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile."

Toothless stopped spinning. Ari opened his eyes, just in time to see them turn to the side and start plummeting. He cried out again. They dove all the way to the sea, where Toothless skimmed against the waves a few times.

Hiccup tried to fight against him, but she could only do so much without making them crash or making the ride worse. "Toothless, please!" she begged. "We need him to like us!" Toothless ignored her and started climbing again, spinning in the process.

"Okay!" Ari called suddenly. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have run off! I'm sorry! Just get me off of this thing."

That was what Toothless was waiting for. Suddenly, he opened his wings and they leveled out, flying smooth among the clouds.

"Ari," Hiccup said. "Ari, look up."

It took a few moments, but Ari found the courage to do so. He opened his eyes and lifted his head from her shoulder. What he saw was... amazing.

They were gliding among the clouds. The afternoon sun reflected off them, turning them a warm orange color. Cautiously, he removed a hand from Hiccup's waist and reached up, skimming his fingers through one of them. A smile grew on his face and he stuck his whole hand in it. Then he was laughing. Hiccup turned back and smiled at him. He returned it wholeheartedly. She adjusted the stirrup and took them to a break in the clouds.

Ari could see the whole island from up there. He could see for miles. He saw the world beyond everything he had ever known. He could see the world from a place that no other Viking had seen it before. Well, no other Viking besides Hiccup.

He wrapped both arms back around her as she took them back into the wonderland of clouds. It all made sense now. She had learned those tricks by watching Toothless. Everyday, she was going out to see him. He sudden change of attitude about dragons, her inability to kill them. If he had spent everyday doing this, he wouldn't have wanted to kill them either. Once again, Hiccup had blown his mind. Somehow, she had befriended the dragon that all Vikings feared most. And now, they were soaring through the skies on it's back.

"Alright," he said, "I'll admit it. This is amazing. He's amazing." Toothless gave an appreciative hum. Ari held Hiccup tighter. "You're amazing."

Hiccup was glad she was facing the other way. She was sure he could she her blush, but she was glad that she wasn't facing him so she didn't have to look him in the eyes. Toothless grumbled beneath them, saving her from a response.

"Toothless is hungry," she said instead. "Lets land somewhere and get him something to eat, then we can talk."

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

They landed on a rocky cliff after netting several fish. Toothless laid contentedly eating his fish. Hiccup and Ari sat next to him, leaning on his side.

She told him everything. All of it, from day one. Their first encounter. When she gave him the fish. When he made her eat it. When he let her touch him. When she gave him the necklaces. The whole adventure of making the prosthetic. When he saved her from drowning. When he stopped caring about the short sword she wore on her person. When they got stuck together and they had to fly to the forge. She explained to him that that was the night they had argued, and why they had argued. She didn't mean any of it. She just had to get rid of him.

She told him about when they lost her mother's necklaces. Then about her resolution of him needing to fly on his own, that she couldn't possibly keep him alive and secret. She told him about the prosthetic she made that he could control himself, how he went to find the necklaces, then destroyed the prosthetic, refusing to fly without her. Then, she tried to explain to him why she couldn't kill the dragon the next day.

"I get it," he said. He had remained silent up to this point, letting her speak. "I don't think I could complete the final exam tomorrow either." They were mindful not to say 'kill a dragon' in front of Toothless. "I just have one question."

She sighed. She knew what it was. "I think you're question is the same as mine."

"Why do they raid us?" he asked.

That really was the big question. Dragons were very capable of getting their own food. Plus, they took way more than they needed to. Now, it was proven that dragons were not the monsters everyone thought them to be, that they could actually be kind and friendly. So why do it?

"Your guess is as good as mine," she said.

They sat in silence for a moment. Then, a small group of Terrors came into view, flying toward them. Ari tensed up automaticly. They had seen how deadly those tiny creatures could be.

"No, wait," Hiccup said, placing a hand on his arm. This only made him tense more, but for a completely different reason.

They watched as the Terrors landed, seemingly drawn by the food. Toothless leaned into it protectively, growling. The Terrors moved around him, trying to figure out how to grab one. One managed to steal one away. Him and another Terror fought over it. Another

Terror had made it in with the pile and was trying to pull one away. Toothless grabbed it from him and swallowed it whole, then teased the tiny dragon. The Terror huffed, then took on a fighting stance. Toothless almost looked bored. Just as the dragon puffed up his chest and opened his mouth, Toothless shot a tiny little fireball right into it.

The dragon seemed to deflate, smoke coming out of it's ears, nose, and mouth. It tried to stand, stumbling away.

"Huh," Ari said in interest. "Their not so fireproof on the inside, are they?"

"Weird," Hiccup agreed. "I think he deserves a fish for the effort though." She handed one to Ari. "Go on, give it to him."

The Terror eyed the fish in Ari's hand. Ari tossed it to him without hesitation. The Terror swallowed it whole. He then eyed Ari and approached him cautiously. Then, he made his way all the way to Ari's side and forced himself under his arm, resting his head on his thigh.

Hiccup giggled. "I think he likes you."

Ari didn't respond. He pet the small drago slowly. "Everything we know about them... is wrong," he said finally. Hiccup's silence was her agreement.

At this point, the other Terrors had seen the whole exchange and were eyeing Ari expectantly. Hiccup noticed and handed him three more fish. "You have more customers."

Ari threw a fish to each of the Terrors, who in turn thanked him by cuddling up next to him. Hiccup laughed at the sight. One laid on his lap, another draped across his shoulders, and the last was curled up on top of his head.

"Okay, okay," she said. "Don't move." She took her notebook out from it's strap and started sketching Ari and the four Terrors on him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," she said triumphantly with a smile.

He sighed, but sat still and waited patiently for her to finish. When she was done, she showed him the finished product. He smirked.

"It is pretty funny," he agreed. His smirk was suddenly gone. "I have a question for you." She raised her eyebrows. "Why don't you ever draw yourself?"

The question caught her off guard. Why didn't she? Well, for one, she drew what she saw, and she didn't look at herself often except in disappointment, and that was no fun to draw. Plus, she never really felt like part of the tribe, which is what she mostly drew. She wasn't really in the group of teens, so she didn't belong in those pictures either. She didn't belong in any of the pictures she drew, except for the few she had drawn with her and Toothless flying.

She closed her book slowly. "I think you know why," she said softly.

He said nothing for a moment. "I'm your friend, you know. You can draw one with me."

She looked up at him, smiling in appreciation. "Thank you." She sighed, ready to change the subject. She looked out over the cliff to see that the sun was setting. She turned back to him, eyes bright. "Want to see the world at night?"

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

It was even more breathtaking when the sun went down.

The stars shone bright. Ari felt close enough to touch them. And Berk from above, that was amazing as well. The shadows from their structures, the fires from the lookouts... It was incredible.

His arms were wrapped tightly around Hiccup. He felt like all afternoon, for the first time, he was getting a glimpse at how Hiccup saw the world. It made him see everything differently. It made him see her differently. Everything about her seemed to click in his head. And he liked it. He liked it alot.

"So what now?" he asked after a while. The question had been in the back of his mind. "What are you going to do about the exam tomorrow?"

Hiccup sighed. "Well, my original plan was to run away until I figured things out..."

"No," Ari objected. "That's not happening."

"If you would let me finish," she said pointedly. He shut his mouth. "That was before anyone else knew about all of this."

He nodded. "We'll figure this out together."

Hiccup didn't have a chance to respond. Suddenly, Toothless, turned sharply to the side. He was flying fast, franticly, straight into Helheim's Gate. "Toothless, what's happening?" Hiccup asked. He didn't acknowledge her.

Other dragons started to appear around them, hundreds of them, each carrying a load of food. "Get down!" Hiccup hissed. They both ducked low on the saddle.

"What are they doing?" Ari asked.

"Looks like their hauling in the kill," Hiccup said uneasily.

"Uhm, what does that make us?"

Hiccup wasn't worried about Toothless eating them, but she was concerned about the thousands of other dragons flying around them. She set a hand on his head. "Toothless, you have to get us out of here, buddy." He shook her off.

Another few minutes of flying and they came to an island. "The nest," Ari said, voicing her thoughts. They flew straight into the towering volcano. All of the dragons filed in. They flew over the inside of the volcano, where the other dragons were dropping in their food. Toothless flew around and landed high on one of the rock formations, hiding behind it.

"Well," Hiccup said as they observed the scene, "it's nice to know all of our food is being dumped down a giant hole."

"They're not eating any of it," Ari seconded.

It seemed to be over, but then one last dragon staggered in. The Gronkle stopped over the center of the hole, opened it's mouth, and dropped in half a fish. He started to buzz away when a roar admitted from the hole. Then, a massive head, bigger than the two Viking teens could believe, came out of the abyss and snapped it's jaws around the Gronkle.

Hiccup and Ari stared wide-eyed as the head sunk back down. "What was that?" breathed Ari. Hiccup didn't have an answer for him.

The monstrous dragon rose it's head again, sensing something off, and spotted them. "Okay Toothless, time to go!" This time, Toothless didn't hesitate to comply. He jumped out of the way just as the beast snapped it's jaws right where they had been.

They soared upwards, falling in line with the other dragons flying out the top. The Beast snapped at them again, but caught a Zippleback in it's jaws instead. The Vikings watched as the Beast dragged the dragon down into the abyss as they cleared the volcano.  
_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

"It totally makes sense," Ari went on as they landed in the cove. "It's like a giant beehive. Their the workers and that's their queen. It controls them." He hopped off the saddle. "Come on, let's go find Stoick."

"No, Ari wait!" Hiccup hopped off as well. "They'll kill Toothless. No, Ari we have to think this through very carefully." This was rich, coming from her. She hardly ever thought anything through. But this time it was serious.

"Hiccup," Ari said, "we just found the dragon's _nest. _The thing that we've been after since Viking's first sailed here. We figured out why the dragon's raid us. And you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet dragon, are you serious?"

She turned to him, her eyes hard and uncompromising. "Yes."

His expression softened at that. Of course she would. That was the point, wasn't it? They had figured out why dragons were the way they were. They just had to figure out a way to defeat the Beast. They didn't have to fight the rest of them. But none of the adults would understand that right away. They would kill Toothless without a thought. And Toothless was Hiccup's best friend. That's what they wanted to prove, that they didn't have to kill each other.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "So what do we do?"

She sighed. "I don't know. Just give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out." How was she going to avoid the final exam? How was she going to explain to her father all of their findings? All that she had been doing the past several weeks? She really had no idea.

Ari nodded. "Okay, Hiccup."

She looked up at him, trying to channel how grateful she was for his presence, for his support, into the look. She thought about all they had done that day, all they had accomplished with a smile. They now had no secrets between each other. They knew everything, and they were in it together. She thought about how he looked with all of those Terrors on him, barely containing her laugh. She thought about their flight, how scared he was and then how excited. She thought about his arms wrapped tightly around her the whole time.

"_You're amazing."_

The smile started to fade off her face. She was suddenly aware of how close they were standing to each other. She could almost feel his breath on her skin. Wildly, she wondered if he was going to kiss her.

It wouldn't be the first time he's done so.

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**CLIFF HANGER!**_

_**Oh man, I'm evil. :D**_

_**This was seriously one of my favorite chapters to write. And yes, I did move that scene where Hiccup gives a fish to that Terror to right here. I thought it fit better. SO THERE. :)**_

_**Now for the quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Hiccup! **_

_**"You and your training can shove it."**_

_**Yes, Hiccup tells us all exactly how she feels about Ari's training schedule. That is, when she is being woken up at the break of dawn. She's not a morning person...**_

_**See you guys on Friday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInomniac**_


	15. Chapter 15

**_Happy Friday!_**

**_And now, the chapter all Hiccup/Ari fanatics have been waiting for... :D_**

**_So, uh, just read this through and I will explain a little at the end of it._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~_**

_It wouldn't be the first time..._

It was a while ago, two or three years, but she remembered it like it was yesterday.

The snow was piled high, it being midwinter, and the spirits of the tribe members were as usual for that time of year. They were bored. All the hunting and preparation for winter had long been done. Dragon raids were few and far between. And only the children really got any enjoyment out of the frozen wonderland.

The adults found themselves, as they did every year, at a loss of what to do. So, naturally, they drank a lot and were drunk often. But they needed entertainment, something interesting and lively to keep them on their toes. Hiccup found herself victim to such.

Hiccup stared up at the green leaves and red berry and silently cursed them. It was by far her least favorite of all the stupid things they had come up with. The tradition was that if a boy and a girl were both standing under a mistletoe, which were placed all over the Village in doorways and such, at the same time, they would have to kiss. The boy would then pick a berry off and give it to the girl. This continued until all of the berries were gone, then the mistletoe would be taken down.

Hiccup hated it. First, it was made up entirely because the men wanted an excuse to kiss girls and they all thought it was funny when others were forced to do it. Second, the girls of the village had turned it into a contest of sorts to see who could get the most berries. And third, Hiccup never got any berries, not that she wanted one. However, this made her subject to much ridicule. Regardless, she tried her best to avoid those areas.

But now she found herself under one such mistletoe, one berry left intact, standing in front of a boy. And not just any boy.

Ari was looking at her with a certain intensity that she couldn't tell if he was mad, excited, or simply just calculating the situation. She met his gaze, blushing heavily.

How they had gotten there, she wasn't really sure. Terrible timing was her only guess. There was no way it had been intentional, and she hoped he didn't think it was. They stood in the side doorway of the Mead Hall. She had been going in, him out. She had, naturally, not been paying attention and ran straight into him. And then there they were, the glow of the hall lighting their faces and the cold of the night chilling their bones.

Ari still hadn't moved, nor said anything. She glanced inside the hall, then turned back to him. "Look," she said softly, "they're all drunk. No one is paying attention. We can pretend like this never happened."

He blinked. "Do you not want to kiss me?" he asked.

If it was possible, her blush deepened. She cast her eyes down. "I'm assuming _you_ don't have any desire to kiss _me_, and I'm willing to walk the other way rather than force something that isn't wanted."

A few seconds passed and he hadn't said anything. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes. His face was still rather stoney, but his eyes were slightly narrowed. He shook his head. "No."

She was about say goodnight then, figuring he meant that he didn't want to kiss her, when he stepped closer to her. The farewell died on her lips as he cupped her face in his hands. As an automatic reaction, her hands came up and gripped the fur on his forearms, whether to push him away or hold him there she wasn't sure.

They locked eyes. Their faces were close, so very close to each other, and he was closing the gap.

"Uhm..." Hiccup wasn't sure what she was going to say, or if she was going to say anything at all, but all thought was lost as his lips met hers.

Her eyes fell shut. It wasn't at all like she imagined it, not at all like how she had seen some of the other boys in the village kiss. They were greedy, their lips forceful and their hands gripping hard and wherever they could get away with; very impersonal.

But Ari... he was different. His hands respectfully stayed in one place, his fingers brushing against her neck and his thumbs resting on her cheeks. He was barely holding her at all, giving her permission to pull away if she wanted to. But... she found that she didn't. His lips were warm and soft against her own. He was so gentle, kissing her like an actual person, not something to be dominated. It was so breathtaking, so sweet. It was _wonderful_.

And then it was over. He pulled back slowly, their lips hardly making a sound. She pursed hers together, relishing the feeling, then opened her green eyes to meet his blue.

He held her gaze for a moment, then looked up. He took one hand off her face. She watched him as he reached up and picked the last berry, then brought it back down and held it in front of her.

"For you," he said softly.

It took her a moment to remind her muscles to move, but she soon lifted her arm and picked up the berry between two delicate fingers. She observed it on her flat palm for a moment, then looked back up. Their eyes met for a second more, and then he slipped away.

Her cheek suddenly felt cold without the presence of his hand. She turned toward the night. He was waking away, out into the white darkness. He made it several yards before she called out to him, stepping out into the snow herself.

"Ari, wait!"

He turned to her.

"Did you-" she stopped and bit her lip.

"What?" he prompted.

She took a deep breath. "Did you like kissing me?" she asked. "I mean, was it better than any of the other girls?"

He blinked again, this time looking surprised. He said, as if it were obvious, "I've never kissed any other girls. I've never kissed anyone but you."

With that, he walked away. She watched until the darkness completely enveloped him. When he was gone from sight, she looked back down at her berry. Then, as hard as she could without squishing it, she clutched the small thing in her palm and gazed back out in the night where he had gone, hardly even noticing when it started to snow.

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Standing there, with the bright moon lighting their faces and the intensity of Ari's gaze, she felt like she was back under that Mistletoe.

Ever since that day, they never discussed it. It was never even mentioned, and as far as she knew no one else knew about it. Ever since that day, every time she was around Ari, she felt uneasy. That's why she blushed around him more than at any other time.  
It had gotten less difficult, as they started to spend more time together, to talk to him without going red. It had even gotten easy as they fell into their usual conversations and witty banter, even when they were discussing serious matters. But every time they got close to one another, every time he said something complimentary or did something that could be taken as sign of affection, or even just a smile, she was thrown into confusion and the blush returned. Even when they touched, even if it was unavoidable, she would feel her heart beat faster. Like the Nadder Incident, though that was mostly just embarrassing for them both. A better example would be when he was sick with poison and she kept him warm, sleeping with him through the night.

Yes, it all confused her. But even more so, she couldn't deny the overwhelming feeling of how much she liked it. Not a day went by that she didn't think of that winter night. Nowadays, she found herself thinking of the night they spent together. She liked the feeling of his arms around her. She liked how he held her close against his chest, during those few hugs or when he held her through the night. Or just then, when he didn't let go of her through the whole flight. And that one kiss they shared, she remembered it perfectly. She liked the feeling of his lips on hers.

She liked how he listened to her. He took an interest in her even before she was the star of Berk. He was willing to be her friend. He looked out for her. He protected her. She had always admired him from afar. He was strong and smart. She even liked his stubbornness, even if it did get annoying sometimes. Plus, she couldn't deny that he was ridiculously good looking. Her favorite part about him was his eyes. Those crystal clear blue eyes that she had come to know, that showed everything he was feeling. She liked all of these things about him. She liked _him._

But did he like her? Based on his actions, she guessed that he did to some extent. But she couldn't be sure. Even if he did, what would they do about it?

Love was a tricky thing for the Vikings of Berk, and Vikings in general. Marriages were arranged. Brides were bought or won. Couples were lucky if they tolerated one another. Respect itself was rare, and love was hardly even heard of.

There were things to consider. She was the Chief's daughter, heir to the Tribe, which seemed more likely as the days passed now with her high training score. Ari's family wouldn't be able to afford a bride price until after he took over as second in command, being just him and his mother, and that's if he did so. Plus, there was no guarantee that her father would accept him. And if they did come to care that much about each other, with the possibility that they could be married off to other people, they could be opening themselves up to a world of heartache.

There were so many things to think about. So many things. But... she found that she didn't care. For the moment, and the foreseeable future, she decided to push those thoughts away. All that she registered right then was the electricity that passed through the few inches that separated them and the look in Ari's eyes as he gazed down at her.

Suddenly, he lightly punched her arm, surprising her. "That's for kidnapping me," he said, a small glint in his eye.

She gave him a puzzled look, then turned to Toothless to share the same one. He huffed in indifference and turned back to the water.

"So," she said after several moments, turning back to Ari, "you won't tell anyone? About Toothless?"

He shook his head. When he spoke, his words were soft, intimate. "No. I don't think I was going to before, either. I was just confused. Overwhelmed."

"But you understand now?" she asked. "About everything?"

"Do I understand about the dragons?" He nodded. "Yes. Do I understand you? Well..." He moved closer to her. One of his hands came up and rested on the small of her back, pulling her to him. She fought against a shiver that threatened to go up her spine. It felt like she wasn't in control of her movements. Her hands came up to his chest and gripped his tunic while his free one cupped her face. Once again, her grip was firm, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to push him away or keep him there. His was gentle, once again giving her permission to pull away if she wanted. But she didn't.

His fingers brushed against her neck as he cupped her face in his palm. They locked eyes. Her heart was racing, and she could feel his under her grip on his tunic. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and finished his sentence. "I'm starting to." Then he drew their faces closer.

She stopped him. "There's no mistletoe here," she whispered, their lips barely an inch apart. It was a question. Before, there was a mistletoe. She had given him the option not to kiss her, but he did anyway. She didn't know what that meant. But now... What did he feel?

He stopped, but didn't pull back. He opened his blue eyes again to meet her green. "No," he said, "there's not." Then he closed in.

Their lips met, and it was exactly like she remembered it. He was soft and warm. Gentle. But this time, it was better. This time, there was fuel behind it, a level of emotion that neither party had felt before. It was absolutely breathtaking.

They pulled away slowly. It was simple, sweet, yet packed with passion. She opened her eyes after pressing her lips together to find his waiting. He stroked her cheek again, then said something, but she didn't hear him in her daze.

"What?" she asked, both of them still speaking softly.

A small smile formed on his lips. "Should we walk back now?"

She managed to break through the haze enough to form a thought. "Not together," she said. "If we're seen coming back this late, people will think we were-" Her rosy cheeks darkened. But the smile on his face grew in humor, causing one to grow on hers as well. They _had _just been doing what was in the same category as what people would suspect. Plus, some of the teens already thought that after that night they slept together, even though he was sick, and all they did was _sleep._ They shared a soft laugh.

"Well, we wouldn't want that," he said. "I'll run ahead, make some space." But she didn't want him to go. He didn't seem so keen to leave either. He pushed some of her hair aside, then stroked her cheek again. She found herself leaning into it slightly, then she slid one of her hands up to his wrist, her fingers brushing the back of his palm. Then, he leaned in again, but this time pressed his lips to her cheek. It was short and sweet. A 'goodnight, Hiccup'. He whispered just that in her ear before he pulled away. Then he was gone.

She watched him as he jogged out of the cove, completely blown away by all that had just occurred. She didn't even notice Toothless come up next to her until he hummed.

He was watching Ari as well, his eyes wide with curiosity and a hint of amusement. He turned to Hiccup.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face even if she tried. Toothless snickered.

She pushed at his head in a 'whatever', then dropped cross legged to the cove floor with a sigh. Toothless dropped as well, lying down next to her. She leaned against his side and gazed up at the night sky.

"Let me tell ya, Toothless," she said dreamily. "Kissing..." she sighed again. "Right up there with flying." He cooed in response.

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~**_

Stoick tended to the fire at the hearth, pondering over recent events.

He still couldn't quite wrap his brain around it. Returning home was such a disappointment, what with not finding the Nest and taking much damage. But then to hear that Hiccup was placing first in training? He couldn't believe it.

At first he thought it was a joke, that Gobber and some of the villagers were messing with him. All he had really hoped stepping off that ship was that Hiccup was alive, that she had survived training. But no, they weren't joking. And now, his daughter had won the honor of killing her first dragon in front of the entire village. She had even bested Ari Hofferson, whom everyone was sure would win.  
To think that, just a few weeks ago, Hiccup had been such a clumsy thing, an accident prone embarrassment. But now, she brought pride to her family. She honored her mother. And her skills... He had just seen them himself that day. It was absolutely incredible.

For the first time in many years, he saw a bright future for her. For the whole tribe, in fact. She would be named Chieftain. Ari would make a good second in command for her. He was a strong, smart lad that would grow to be even more so as a man. He would keep her from making impulsive decisions, keep her focused, and would be loyal to the end of his days. Yes, the future looked very bright for the Hairy Hooligans.

He turned and watched as the front door opened and a tired looking Hiccup stumbled in. No, more like sleeping on her feet.

"Hiccup." It was more of a question then a statement. The whole time he thought she was upstairs asleep. For a moment, he debated on what to do. Should he punish her? Lecture her on staying out so late? Especially the night before her exam? But, she was a big girl. Almost grown up, now that he thought about it. And she had recently proved that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He settled with, "It's very late."

She yawned, stumbling in a few more steps, and nodded. "Yes. It is. Time just," she yawned again, "gets away from me."

He knew what was happening. He had seen this Hiccup before. Sometimes, she would get so tired that she would start falling asleep on her feet. But she kept talking, though she wouldn't remember it the next day, often confessing things or just talking gibberish. He watched as she clumsily made her way over the the fire. She probably wouldn't make it up the stairs.

The whole time, there was this wide smile on her face. It seemed to grow as she sat down in front of the flames next to his chair.

She sighed. "_Especially _when I'm doing stuff like _that._"

Stoick raised his eyebrows, somewhat amused. "Like what, exactly?"

She yawned once more and stretched, then laid on her side, her front facing the fire. "I felt like I was flying..."

He couldn't guess what on earth she had been doing. It was a strange comparison at that. She was never really specific in this state, and she seemed to actually be asleep then, so he would probably never know. With a soft smile, he knelt down and picked up her tiny frame. She had a big day following and would surely wake up sore if she slept on the hardwood.

She started talking again as they made their upstairs. "I like him, daddy."

His eyebrows raised again, this time in a more parental, worried way. Now he knew what she was talking about. "Who?" he asked carefully.

A soft smile continued on her face. "Ari."

He stopped, momentarily forgetting to walk. Ari Hofferson. Hiccup's would-be perfect second-in-command. Strong, determined, courageous, loyal, stubborn Ari Hofferson. Seemingly perfect in every way known to Vikings. Succeeded at everything he did. Had he now managed to steal his daughter's heart?

Everything in him screamed that this was wrong, that the boy was playing her or using her somehow. But... Ari was not a bad boy. Compared to the other boys in this village, he was definitely the best. Broke, yes. But a good boy, and would be an even better man.

He sucked in a breath and continued forward. "Do you?" he asked.

"Yes," she sighed. "He understands. And... he's so... handsome."

Stoick fought not to roll his eyes, though he couldn't deny it. Ari was in fact the best looking of the young men in the village. "Mhm..."

"He's so soft... so gentle-"

"He doesn't take advantage of you, does he?" he cuts her off. It was strange, what with her coming in so late. He had to make sure.

She shook her head. "No. He's such... gentleman. Not like.. other boys..." She was fading off. The conversation would end soon.

They had reached her room. "That's nice," he said, setting her down on the bed.

She nodded. "He's nice... to me. Even... before anyone else... was."

Nice to her before anyone else? Well, he guessed that was true. Hiccup was never popular in the tribe, had trouble making friends. It was hard to be accepted as a Viking when you were... different. None of the other teens her age paid much attention to her, and when they did they were rough with her. He had never known quite what to do about it.

But Ari, he was nice to her then? Her friend before she started doing well? His opinion of the boy raised even more. It was good to know that Hiccup had someone with her, that didn't reject her like the others her age. Perhaps, he thought, he wouldn't just make his daughters perfect second-in-command, but also a good partner.

The thought stopped him dead. Not just the thought of Ari Hofferson marrying Hiccup, which he wasn't sure how that would work with Ari not being able to afford a bride price, but just the thought of _Hiccup _being _married. _It shouldn't have shocked him so much. She was of age and could be married at any moment, probably would be within the next year. But standing there, gazing down at the small girl, his little girl, his heart couldn't quite take it.

She was almost grown-up, he realized. Finished with Dragon Training, somewhat bigger than a child, and of marrying age with interested suitors. How had it happened? It seemed like just yesterday she was tiny toddler stumbling through the house or following him out the door to do his Chiefly duties when her mother wasn't looking.

Her mother. "Oh, Val," he breathed involuntarily. He reached out and brushed Hiccup's bangs away from her face. She looked so much like her. Smaller, but all of the same features except coloring. That was kind of a mix between the two. Auburn hair, light skin, freckles. But it was her eyes, those big, green eyes that got him every time. His own eyes were green, but not like that. No, he had only ever seen that shade on one other person. And now, every time he looked at Hiccup, he saw his late wife as well.

Things were terrible after her death. He felt like he died inside. Hiccup as well, he watched her crumble. But he didn't know what to do. Lost in his own grief, he didn't see when Hiccup lost herself.

But someone was looking out for her. Ari, when he was just a small lad, had come to him one winter night to convince him to let Hiccup take over in the Forge. He remembered that night vividly. Even at six, the boy was the most determined, stubborn thing he had ever seen.

He didn't need much convincing. It was a good idea, in his mind. Hiccup would come out of her room. She would be able to use her creative talents. She would actually be able to do something. She would be safe.

That was his goal. From that day on, he protected Hiccup, even if that meant protecting her from herself. He kept her in the forge. He kept her out of the way. He kept her safe. He couldn't lose her, couldn't even bear the thought. She was all he had left, his little girl. He couldn't lose her.

But perhaps it was more than that. Perhaps, it was in her eyes. Those huge emerald eyes that, every time he looked, made him see Val. He needed to protect that, protect her. especially from dragons.

He knew it wouldn't be easy. Hiccup was clumsy and impulsive. She wasn't a natural fighter either. But not just that. Hiccup was just as stubborn and determined as most Vikings, but almost exactly like one in particular. He looked at Hiccup and saw, coupled with frustration, what he felt during his own youth. He looked at Hiccup, and he saw himself.

Hiccup would always accomplish what she set her mind too, even if it took her awhile to do so. That's what always scared him the most. She wanted out, she wanted to fight dragons, and he knew that he couldn't stop her. She would have gotten out there eventually, she did often, and it was even more dangerous without training. He couldn't protect her from herself anymore. She was grown up. And now, she was a star dragon fighter. She was of marrying age. She even had a suitor. Who she would actually marry was up for some serious debate with himself, but he knew if would happen soon.

He looked down at her and, for a moment, he saw his baby girl again. But soon the image was gone, replaced by the still young, but no child, present form of Hiccup. Almost a woman. A Viking.

"Oh, Val," he breathed again. He brushed her bangs again. "If only you were here to see this." He knelt down and kissed Hiccup's head.

He tucked her in. He took off her boots, skirt, and sword belt. He took off what looked to be another belt. A large, strange looking one.

He frowned. "What on earth is this?"

Hiccup mumbled then, answering his question. He couldn't make much out. Just "gear" and "toothless", nothing that made sense.

He shook his head softly. Just another one of Hiccup's things that he wouldn't understand.

He pulled a fur over her, then walked to the door. He stopped and looked at her once more. "I'm proud of you," he said softly, then walked out.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**What a ride, right? YAY KISS SCENE! :D**_

_**I struggled a lot with Hiccup and Ari's relationship development through this whole story. I wanted it to be slow, much slower than in the movie. More natural I guess. I wanted all of this stuff to build up to this one moment. The kiss. :D**_

_**So, about the beginning. I got the idea from a picture I saw on tumbler or something. It was like a three section pic, the top of a mistletoe, the middle younger Hiccup, and the bottom younger Astrid. I haven't been able to find it since. It didn't show the kiss or anything, but I thought it was adorable. Don't know if there is a story out there to couple it, but I thought I would put the concept in here. Plus, it adds an awesome layer of depth on their relationship, and somehow makes their cove kiss even better. So, if you're reading this and you're the one that drew that picture, I sincerely thank you for the idea, and I really hope you don't mind. :S **_

_**Also, I did a lot of research on Mistletoe. Turns out, way way back in the day, mistletoe's were used just as described above. It was just a game, made up probably because people were bored. No one knows exactly how it made it's way into Christianity. And this wasn't meant to be a Christmas scene, considering how Vikings didn't celebrate Christmas...**_

_**And the scene with Stoick and Hiccup, I put that in because I wanted you to see Hiccup through his eyes, from childhood up. Plus, it goes with the title and theme of the story, the whole 'I looked at you and saw myself' bit. **_

_**Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! Let me know! **_

_**And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Snotlout!**_

_**"I know we're not going to make it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop fighting, even if that means my death, especially if that means I can save the others. I am a Viking, and Viking's don't take death lying down."**_

_**Yes, Snotlout grows up and shows us just how valiant he can be. :)**_

_**Until Monday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Hola! It be Monday!**_

_**And... I failed once again. Afternoon post... I'm ashamed. D:**_

_**Well, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Hope you like this one as well! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

It was rare when the entire population of Berk was in the same place. During weddings and ceremonies of course, but these included lots and lots of Mead. There was only one event that everyone attended sober. They didn't want to forget a single second of the Dragon Training Finalists exam.

Hiccup could hear her father off in the distance perfectly, his booming voice reaching her ears as he addressed the crowd. He was saying how unbelievable it all was, boasting about how Hiccup, his daughter, the previously known screw-up of Berk, was now the champion of such.

"Today," he concluded his speech, "my girl becomes a Viking. Today, she becomes one of us!" The crowd roared.

_Oh, Daddy, _she thought. _If only you knew. _

Hiccup looked out at them all from the entryway with a surprise lack of emotion. She felt numb. She was sure that soon the fear would set in, but for now she remained still. It hadn't quite hit her yet. It didn't feel real. It wasn't just the fact that she was the finalist and was going into the arena alone with a Monstrous Nightmare. No, that she could almost handle. It was what she was about to do that shook her to the bone.

She sensed him before she could hear him. He was silent when he walked, but she had grown used to his presence. It was as if they were in tune with one another. She could feel him coming close to her.

"Be careful with that dragon," Ari said softly. An unneeded piece of advice, but what else was he to say? She understood him, though. That one sentence spoke volumes, so much packed in that she heard but that wasn't spoken. It was instruction; _remember your training_. It was a question; _what exactly are you going to do?_ It was a plea; _please don't get hurt, please come back to me._

She tried to answer all of this. "It's not the dragon I'm worried about," she responded, pointedly tracking her father as he made his way over to the Chief's chair. _I remember the training, but I won't need it. I'm going to defy my father and show everyone that we don't have to fight dragons. And... I can't promise that. _

He didn't quite get the second part. "What are you going to do?" he asked, fully realizing that she had come up with some sort of plan.

She took a deep breath. "Put an end to this," she breathed, eyes still on her father. "I have to." She turned to him.

There it was. The fear. The desperation. She felt it all when she looked into his eyes. He felt it too. Suddenly, she was very aware of how real the situation was. She was going into the ring alone. She was expected to fight and kill a very dangerous dragon. But she wasn't going to. She was going to try and show everyone that the dragons weren't their enemies. There were two problems with that. One, Viking's were very stubborn, and all of Berk hated dragons more than anything else. Two, she had no idea what would happen with the Nightmare. She would have to try and tame the dragon with her bare hands, just like Toothless. But this dragon was different, the situation was different, and Nightmares were very easily spooked. One false move from her or anyone outside the arena and she would be dead.

While she had been thinking it all through, Ari had stepped closer. She didn't even look up as he stepped right in front of her, just stared right through his chest, far far away. Ari brought her back as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. She gripped his arms tight and let out a shaky breath, then closed her eyes as he kissed the top of her head. Just like that, coupled with the events of the night before, they were united through some sort of unspoken agreement. It wasn't awkward or weird. She didn't even blush. They were just there, comforting one another. From then on, they faced life side by side, together, never to be alone again. And it felt so good, so impossibly good to have him there, that if she could she would've stayed there forever. But she couldn't, and the reality of it all was crushing.

A stray tear fell from her eyes. "Ari," she said softly, "If something goes wrong-"

His grip tightened. "Stop it," he said firmly.

"No," she said, just as firm. "Listen to me." She pulled back to look at him. "If something goes wrong, promise me that they won't find Toothless. Promise me that you'll take care of him." She didn't tell him how much she cared about him, how much her heart ached and soared at the same time as she stood there with him. But he knew. She told him this through the look they shared.

He got the message, and she received the same from him. He gave a single nod. "I will." A hand came up and he brushed her stray tear away. "Just promise me it won't go wrong."

She couldn't make that promise. He knew that. She opened her mouth to respond, what she wasn't sure, but was cut off as footsteps neared them.

They separated and turned as Gobber came in from the arena. His eyebrows were raised, having just seen the closeness of the pair and an unexpected level of emotion. He made no comment, but a hint of an amused smile crossed his face as he spoke.

"It's time, Hiccup," he said. "Best be gettin' out there."

She nodded, then turned back to Ari. They locked eyes for a second longer, then she turned and stepped away. She summoned up all the bravery she could, put on her helmet, and walked into the arena.

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Gobber shut the gate behind her, separating her from both him and Ari, and everyone else, for that matter. She was one her own.

She felt two things. The fear was locked away, replaced by courage. But dread hung over her. She knew what she had to do, but there were so many outcomes. Most of them were not very pleasant.

Regardless, she stepped forward. People cheered as they saw her. She looked up, taking them all in. She spotted her age group, clinging to the roof of the arena, probably being louder than anyone else. Then her eyes rested on her father. He wasn't cheering. He was watching her intently, observing. He was waiting for her to make her move, to choose her weapon.

She wasn't allowed to bring her short sword in. Weapons were provided. Somehow this prevented any sort of cheating. She almost laughed at the thought. She grabbed a shield first, then gazed at the array of weapons that had been laid out. It wouldn't really matter since she wouldn't be using it, but she paused at the decision. Any other Viking would have gone for the mace or the axe or the hammer, something big and intimidating. She thought of going for the short sword, but her eyes fell on the dagger. She had faced Toothless with a dagger, and it was the least threatening looking of them all. Just like her. She grabbed it and turned toward the dragon's cage.

"I'm ready," she called out. At that, the lock started to open.

Just as the doors had been unlocked, the dragon burst through the cage, already flaming. It jumped up and started climbing around the chained roof. It blasted it's fire out at the audience, forcing some to jump back. The flames on it's body died and he moved around some more, looking for a way out, for it's purpose for being let out of the cage. Then it spotted Hiccup.

It dropped down from the chains right in front of her, then started stepping toward her slowly, waiting for her to make a move. Hiccup stepped back, keeping a few feet distance between them. People shouted at her words of excitement and encouragement, telling her to go for it, but she ignored them.

She felt like she was back during that night, the night of the raid. She had come face to face with a Nightmare then, too. She had scared it, run from it, and it attacked. This time though, she knew what to do.

She dropped her dagger and shield. The crowd gasped and murmured, wondering what on earth she was doing. She extended a hand toward the Nightmare, coming to a stop.

"It's okay," she said, locking eyes with the dragon. "I'm not going to hurt you." She glanced up at her father, then back at the dragon. She reached up and took off her helmet, her piece of her mother. It should have felt like the ultimate betrayal, but it didn't feel that way. Though her heart ached as she did it, she knew that what she was doing was right. Her mother died because of hundreds of years of misunderstanding. But now, now Hiccup understood. If her mother were there, she would have too.

She tossed the helmet to the side. "I'm not one of them."

The crowd gasped. The dragon looked at the helmet, then back at her. "Stop the fight," she heard her father say.

"No!" she cried. "I need you to see this." She extended her hand to the Nightmare again. The dragon drew it's snout closer. "They're not what we think they are," she went on. "We don't have to fight them." They were so close, so very close to touching.

"I said stop the fight!" he father shouted, slamming his hammer into the metal bars of the arena. The loud bang echoed through the whole arena.

That's when the dragon snapped.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Toothless' head shot up.

He had been resting, just sleeping the day away as he awaited his human and possibly her mate. But... Something was wrong.

It was faint, even for his dragon ears. But he could have sworn... Was that his human? Yes. Yes it was. She screamed. But why? What else did he hear? Her mate. He was shouting, too. And a dragon. A... A Nightmare. They were right next to each other. Was the dragon...attacking his human? But dragons liked his human.

No. Something was wrong. He couldn't hear it or see it, but he could feel it. Something was terribly wrong. His human was scared. So was her mate. But the dragon...the dragon was mad.

His human. She was in trouble. Hiccup. Hiccup was in trouble.

In a flash, he was on his feet at the edge of the cove. He scrambled, flapping and clawing at the rock wall, trying anything to get out of the cove. He had to get to her. He had to help her. He knew that they were in the village, but he didn't care. He knew how Hiccup felt about that, how the others in her herd didn't like dragons. They hated them. They would kill him. But he didn't care. He had to get to Hiccup. He had to save Hiccup.

Before, when he was first trapped in the cove, he tried to hard to get out. He flapped and flapped, but he could never get high enough. That was nothing compared to how hard he tried this time. Before, he was more injured. Before, he was only trying to get out for himself. But now, now he had something to fight for. Hiccup needed him, and he would get to her.

He clawed at the rocks, climbing and flapping his way up. Finally, he threw his left paw over the side where Hiccup always came in and dug his claw deep into the earth. He pulled himself up. He was out. He got out of the cove.

There was no time to marvel over the achievement. Immediately he shot forward, running with all his might through the woods, towards the human village, towards Hiccup. He would get to her. He would save her. He had to.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

The audience watched in shock as the scene progressed in front of them.

Hiccup pulled her hand away just in time, the Nightmare snapping it's jaws right where it had been. She yelped, loud and quick. The dragon opened it's mouth. Hiccup turned and ran, narrowly escaping the dragon's line of fire. She poured on the speed. She could avoid him for a while, but there was no way she could outrun him for long. He would either catch her or blast her, and soon.

"Hiccup!" Ari cried, grasping the gate with all his might. He had to get in there. He tore his eyes of Hiccup and looked around the hall. He needed something, something with leverage to open the gate. He yanked the axe off the wall. He rammed it under the gate and pushed as hard as he could, lifting the gate a couple of feet.

He pushed himself under the gate into the arena. Hiccup was still running, but the dragon was catching up to her. Quickly, he kicked a hammer up to his hand and tossed it at the dragon. The hammer hit home, nailing the Nightmare square in the face. The dragon's attention was now on him. It was his turn to run. He did, also narrowly escaping the dragon. He met up with Hiccup on the other side of the arena.

At this point, Stoick had made his way to the arena entryway. He threw the gate open. "Over here!" he ushered the two toward him. They ran together. They were almost there, almost...

Hiccup was knocked out of the way. The dragon's tail came around and slammed her to the ground. His back paw came up and his long talons came over her, locking her in place. More than one person called her name, but she didn't hear them. All she could register for the moment was the dragon's eyes as he stood over her. He was angry. But buried beneath that anger was fear. He was scared. So was Hiccup. She tried to show him that, to show him that she felt the same way. The dragon had a moment of hesitation. But others were coming, weapons in hand, charging him. The dragon roared, blood lust back in it's eye, the open his mouth to fire.  
She was going to die. The only thing she could process was that thought alone. It was a stupid way to die. She had failed. Dragons and Vikings would never live in peace. She closed her eyes and awaited her end.

A whistle sounded through the air. She knew that whistle. Everyone knew that whistle. Suddenly, a black blur jumped out of the forest and blasted the arena, blowing a hole in it, and dove in.

It took a moment for the dust and smoke to settle. All people could hear was roaring and shuffling. When it all cleared, no one could believe what was in front of them.

"Night fury!" many of the gasped. Toothless had pushed Hiccup out of the way and was now on top of the Nightmare. They fought, biting and clawing at one another, but not doing any serious damage. Toothless was establishing his territory. He rammed the Nightmare into the wall and then stood protectively in front of Hiccup, roaring. The Nightmare backed off.

It took everyone a moment to recover. Hiccup still hadn't quite processed it. "Toothless?" she exclaimed in disbelief. She scrambled up and rushed over to him. There was no time for thank you. Everyone else was coming to their senses as well. Vikings were jumping into the ring, charging the dragon. Hiccup pushed at his head. "Okay buddy, you've got to get out of here. Like, now!" But people were charging them, and all Toothless saw was a threat, Hiccup in danger.

They were on top of them now, weapons raised. Toothless tackled them and knocked them out of the way with complete ease, despite Hiccup's protests. Then Toothless spotted Hiccup's father.

Stoick had grabbed the axe on the ground and charged the Night Fury, despite Ari's protests. They ran at each other. Stoick swung, but Toothless overpowered him and tackled him to the ground. Toothless pinned the large man. They locked eyes, hatred filling both pairs. Toothless prepared to fire.

"Toothless, no! Stop!" Hiccup cried. He did. Hiccup didn't want him to, so he wouldn't. He turned to her, whimpering and looking guilty. Then, everyone was on him. They pulled him off the Chief and pinned him to the ground. He could have overpowered them if he wanted, but he didn't. He wouldn't fight them. These were Hiccup's people, and Hiccup didn't want him to fight them.

"No, stop!" Hiccup cried again, this time to the men tackling him. "Don't hurt him!" She moved towards them, but then Ari was there and held her back. She struggled against him. "Let me go! I have to help him!"

"No, Hiccup," he said, his voice surprisingly level. "You can't win this one."

"I have to try!" she shot back, desperation filling her voice. Her eyes as well were begging him to let her go as they locked eyes. It took him aback. She would risk herself, defend her Toothless, even when the situation was hopeless. It was so noble, so Hiccup. But he wouldn't let her go. If they went that far, fought to defend the dragon, people wouldn't hesitate to execute them. They watched, helpless as Spitelout, the second-in-command, offered an axe to Stoick to finish the job.

Stoick took the situation in. None of it made sense. Hiccup had tried to... to tame the Nightmare. The Nightmare attacked. And now, a Night Fury was in their arena. The Night Fury had fought the Nightmare, protecting Hiccup. It listened to Hiccup. Hiccup knew this dragon. They both did, her and Ari. And it had a saddle on. She _rode _this dragon. This had to be the Night Fury Hiccup claimed to have shot down. This needed further explanation.

He pushed the axe away. "Put him with the others," he said. He stepped forward and grabbed Hiccup, pulling her away from Ari and out of the ring.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Stoick tossed her into the Great Hall, slamming the door behind them.

"I should have known," he growled.

Hiccup scrambled, struggling to get her footing. "Dad, please, I-"

He paced back and forth. "I should have seen the signs!"

"Dad, please!" Hiccup pleaded. She ran her hands through her hair and groaned in frustration. "It's all so messed up. Please, be mad at me, punish me. Just don't hurt Toothless!"

He turned to her. "The dragon?" he seethed. "That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?"

"He was only protecting me! Please, he'd never hurt anyone!"

They were shouting now. "They've killed hundreds of us!"

"And we've killed thousands of them!"

They stared at each other, both breathing hard. It was doubtful that either would turn the others thinking. It was hard to win an argument when you were practically fighting yourself.

He grunted in frustration and started pacing again. Hiccup continued. "They only raid us because they have to. If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves." She shivered just thinking about the Beast. "Theres... something else on their island, dad-"

He stopped. "The island? So you've been to the Nest?"

She backed up as he stepped forward. "Uh... did I say Nest?"

"You knew about this and you didn't say anything?" he shouted. "You're taking us there. Today."

"No! Dad I- Toothless brought me there. Only a dragon can find the island."

Stoick's eyes lit up. Hiccup knew that look. "No. Dad, no!" He brushed past her and toward the door. She grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back. "Daddy, please! I promise, you can't win this one!"

He pushed her off. She fell to the ground. She looked up at him in shock. He had never been so rough with her before. He'd never laid a finger on her. She could see shock on his features as well, but this was quickly covered by white hot anger.

"I have to try!" he said. "Because that's what we do! But you wouldn't know that. You're not one of us." He pointed outside. "You've thrown your lot in with them! You're not a Viking. You're not my daughter." With that, he walked out, shouting orders to ready the ships, leaving Hiccup in a mess of tears on the floor.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup stood on the cliff overlooking the docks. The wind blew her hair around. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Watching them chain and lock Toothless to the ship, she felt like crying more. But she was all dried up. She felt numb.

Nearly the whole tribe was going. Every ship available had been prepared, loaded with Vikings and weapons. They were all headed to the Island, the Dragon's Nest, and unbeknownst to them, their certain death.

It didn't work. Her plan had failed. She was labeled a traitor. Disowned. Cast off. Everyone that had just hours ago been cheering her name were now against her. And Toothless... He was locked up as well. He knew full well what he was jumping into when he came to her rescue. He sacrificed himself for her. Now, he was gone forever, too. Everyone would die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She watched her father as he stepped onto his ship. He turned, looking out over Berk one last time. His eyes stopped where Hiccup stood for a moment, but then he quickly turned away. Then they were gone. She watched the ships sail away until they were long out of sight.

She felt Ari come up next to her a while ago. He said nothing, just stood there with her, and they watched the clear horizon together.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but eventually he spoke, pulling her out of her trance.

"It's a mess," he said. It almost sounded like a soft laugh. "You've lost your father, your tribe, your best friend..."

"Thank you for summing that up," she said dryly. "And I wouldn't be so quick to point out my losses. You'll probably be banished too when they get back." She sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods?" Though she couldn't imagine her life without Toothless anymore, the question had always haunted her. If she had killed him, none of this would be happening. If she had killed him, life would be normal, easy. But not right.

"You're right," Ari said, surprising her. "The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't _you_?" He turned to her. "Why didn't you?"

She sighed again. "I don't know. I couldn't."

"That's not an answer."

She turned to him then in frustration. "Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?"

He stepped closer to her.. "Because I want to remember what you say, right now," he said, ducking his head to her level, forcing her to look at him.

She threw her hands in the air. "Oh, for the love of- I was a _coward. _I was _weak. _I _wouldn't kill a dragon!_"

He pointed at her, almost accusatory. "You said 'wouldn't' that time."

"Well, whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!" She turned away from him then, arms crossed, angry at what or who she wasn't sure. Just angry.

Ari's voice was soft as he spoke again. "First to ride one, though." Her eyes lit up at that. Her shoulders dropped and she raised her head, all of the anger suddenly gone. "So...?" Ari prompted. Slowly, she turned to face him again.

"I wouldn't kill him because he looked just as sacred as I was. I looked at him...and I saw myself."

"_I looked at you, and I saw myself."_

His words. Nearly a month ago, right after he was sick. He was telling her why he gave up the forge job for her, why he stood up for her and helped her when her mother died. They made sense to her now. He looked at her and saw the same thing he felt. She looked at Toothless and saw what no other Viking had seen before. She saw what all Vikings denied that they felt. She saw the man within the beast. She saw fear. She saw herself.

Ari's eyes lit up. He understood completely, then. He understood why Hiccup had done what she did, why she didn't kill the dragon, and how she had opened herself up to discovering a whole new world, to the truth behind it all. He understood everything.

The corner of his mouth turned up. "You're the bravest Viking on Berk, and you don't even know it."

She blinked. "What?" This wasn't what she was expecting. "I was a coward. I wouldn't kill that dragon. Not brave at all, or Viking like. Weak."

He shook his head. "No, you are anything be a coward, Hiccup." He stepped closer to her, then raised a hand and stroked her cheek. "You dared look into the eyes of the most feared beast known to Vikings. You dared go against everything we believed in because of what you saw in him. You fought for what you found was right until you couldn't fight anymore. Yes, you Hiccup, are the bravest Viking I've ever known or heard of."

She stood frozen, locked in his gaze as she absorbed his words. It was hard to accept, that she was brave. Was she really? All this time, all her life she had thought herself weak, was told she was weak. All this time she thought she was a coward for not killing Toothless. But no, according to Ari, she wasn't. What he said, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her, and probably ever would. It was the nicest thing any Viking could hear. He was right about what she had done, looking at it from his perspective. Did that mean, that she wasn't weak? That she was brave?

Ari looked out over the ocean, a soft smile on his face. "I bet Toothless is really scared now," he said. He turned back to her, a glint in his eye. "What are you going to do?"

The smile was infectious. A meek one formed on her face as well. She shrugged. "Eh, probably something stupid."

"Good," he nodded, his smirk growing, "but you've already done that."

She was about to shoot something back, some smart remark, but it died on her lips as an idea formed in her head. It was stupid. It was crazy. It was perfect.

Her eyes lit up. She smiled up at him. "You up for something crazy?"

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**So, there's my take on the cliff scene, and what Toothless was thinking when Hiccup was in the ring. A very awesome display of friendship indeed. :)**_

_**Anyone else catch the repeating lines? Centralizing theme and whatnot... :) Kind of gave Hiccup a catch phrase too. "You up for something crazy?" Yup. That's her line, forever and always. **_

_**Almost to the big fight scene! Should be interesting. I'm not going to tell the final battle from Hiccup's point of view, but some of it will be in there. Then Hiccup is going to be out of it for a few chapters... Then the end! Wow, we're almost to the end of this. :S Don't you fret! That just means we're almost to part 2, 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! :D**_

_**And now, a quote from such. This one comes from... Hiccup! **_

_**"You pierced my ears? Are you insane?!"**_

_**Oh man. I laughed so hard writing that... Wonder who shes saying it to... :)**_

_**Till Friday! Cheers!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	17. Chapter 17

**_Happy Friday! _**

**_Evening post... D:_**

**_Omg guys, you people ROCK! We've reached over 100 reviews! Wow, seriously I didn't think this would get that popular. You guys rock my world. :D_**

**_So, about the end of the last chapter... I edited it an hour or so after I posted it, but some of you had already read it by then. I read through it after posting it, which I probably should have done before doing that, and I decided I didn't like the kiss at the end... It just felt wrong, like it was rushed or in the wrong place. So, if you just want to go back and take a quick look at it, it's pretty much the same, just without the kiss. Don't you fret, though. I moved the kiss to this chapter. Plus, more are to follow. There will be plenty of fluffyness and angst. :D_**

**_Anyway, enjoy!_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

"If you're planning on getting eaten, I'd go with the Gronckle," said Fishlegs.

Hiccup turned to the group. As promised, Ari had gathered their age group. The five of them stood in a row in front of her at the center of the ring. In spite of herself, she grinned. Somehow, even though she was an outcast, technically supposed to be off the island, they were still there. Granted, they all looked at her with skepticism, but curiosity overwhelmed that. They weren't her followers anymore. They wanted to see it all for themselves. They wanted to believe her. They wanted to help.

"Seriously though," Ruffnut said, stepping in front of her, "that was like, the coolest thing I've ever seen. Do you actually ride that thing?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but didn't get the chance. Snotlout came up and pushed Ruff out of the way, something he would surely pay for later. "I LOVE this plan," he exclaimed. "You're not so bad after all, cuz."

Once again she was cut off as Tuffnut appeared and pushed Snotlout out of the way. His brows were furled as he spoke. "You're _crazy_," he said. Suddenly his expression changed. A flirtatious smile grew on his face and he leaned in, whispering. "I kind of like that." Hiccup leaned away and gave a nervous grimace.

Ari gave him a good natured shove to the ground, establishing his territory. He stood in front of Hiccup, looking proud of his action. She rolled her eyes, but was fighting a smile as well. He saw right through her. He knew she liked it. His trademark smirk grew on his face and he stepped forward, forcing her to look up. "So," he asked, "what is the plan?"

This time, the smile won the fight. She turned to look at them all. "How do you guys feel about flying?"

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

As Stoick had hoped, the dragon led them right to the Island. He was drawn somehow, purring and clicking, directly to the Nest.

They grounded their ships to the black, rocky ground. They could hear other dragons, thousands of them, purring and clicking as well. Gripping firmly on his hammer, Stoick leaped over the side of the ship, landing squarely on the shore. As soon as he touched the ground, all noise stopped.

It startled them all, striking fear into their hearts. Stoick's expression only hardened. He glared at the mountain. They were all in there, waiting. They knew the Viking's were there. But... they didn't come out and attack them. Not yet, he figured. They were waiting. Waiting for them to all be on shore. Planning. Readying themselves for attack.

Other Vikings started jumping off the ship. Gobber and Spitelout appeared beside him. They were all there, the greatest dragon fighters known to all Vikings, and they were ready.

"Set up a perimeter."

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Hiccup walked slowly, backing out of the Nightmare's cage. The others watched in awe as she led the massive creature out into the light. The dragon that just a few hours before had been out to kill her was now completely subdued by her calm presence.

Most of the teens looked excited. Ari's stance reflected pride directed toward Hiccup. Snotlout, however, was incredibly nervous. He shifted around, trying to contain himself. He felt so helpless, defenceless. He couldn't take it. He knelt down and grabbed the top end of a broken spear. Ari smacked his arm, shaking his head. "Drop it." Reluctantly, he did so.

Hiccup led the dragon right by Snotlout. She kept one hand in front of the dragon, and the other she reached out to grab her cousin's meaty one. He pulled away quickly. She shot him a look and grabbed it again, her grip more firm. She placed his hand over hers and gently, slowly, placed his hand on the dragon's snout.

The dragon purred. Snotlout let out a nervous laugh of disbelief, a wide smile on his face. This dropped, however, when he saw Hiccup walked away. "Where are you going?" he asked in a panic.

She picked up some ropes from the supply chest. "You're going to need something to help you hang on." She passed out the ropes as the other dragons started to appear next to them, Ari letting them out of their cages.

Hiccup watched as each of the teens approached their designated dragons. They did just as Hiccup instructed, holding their hands out to them, weapon free. She watched the wonder in their eyes as they touched their dragons for the first time. The twins with their Zippleback, Fishlegs with his Gronckle, and Snotlout with his Nightmare. She looked at them and saw exactly what she felt the first time she touched Toothless. She looked at them and saw the beginnings of beautiful friendships, just like her and Toothless.

Her heart ached as she thought of him. He was locked up, on his way to the island, toward the queen. He could die too. They needed to leave.

She walked up to Ari, who was petting his cooing Nadder. "I think I'll call her 'Freyja'," he said as she stepped up next to him.

Hiccup nodded, a soft smile on her face, and pet the dragon as well. "It's a good name. Nadders are definitely one of the most eye catching species. She's a pretty lady." She looked pointedly around at the others, then back at him. "I just wish there we had more time for bonding."

His expression went serious again. He nodded, turning back with her to the others. "Listen up!" he said, opening the stage for her.

They all turned. Hiccup addressed them. "We need to leave. With Toothless' on the ship, the adults have probably already made it to the island. I have to warn you though, what's on that island..." she fought against the shiver that ran down her spine. "It's bigger and more powerful than anything you could possibly imagine. It could kill our whole tribe in a matter of minutes." She saw fear enter their eyes, but determination as well. Of course they would be up for it. They were Vikings. "As you can all see, we don't have to fight dragons. Not all of them, at least. These ones are slaves to a tyrant. She's the enemy here, not the dragons."

They all nodded in agreement, accepting her words and the task to come. Suddenly, Snotlout frowned. "How did you find out about all this, anyway?" he asked.

"Toothless brought us there last night," she said simply.

"Us?" Tuffnut blurted. "Who's us?" He pointed at Ari. "Him? Seriously?" He looked incredibly disappointed. "And how long have you known about this, wonder boy?"

Ari shrugged, but Hiccup could see the pleasure in his eyes at whatever points he had just earned in their stupid male dominance contest they had going on. "Longer than you."

Tuffnut glared at him, but Ruffnut cut off his response. "So wait. You guys went out flying last night?" She flashed a devious smile. "I heard you were out late. Night flight... sounds _romantic. _Makes me think of a night about a month ago..."

Hiccup blushed madly. "Can we focus please?"

"Hey," Snotlout defended her, "she makes a good point. I mean, we never got like, the real story on what happened that night..."

"Guys," Ari came to her rescue, though there was just the slightest pink shade on his neck. "Seriously, just start putting the ropes on your dragons and mount up."

They all shrugged. Ruffnut held her hands up in defence. "Whoa there, Mr. Man. Just having a little fun." She turned to Hiccup then, a smile on her face. "You know, you're a lot more fun to tease than to beat up."

She was sure that this was meant as a complement of some sort. Ruffnut was saying that the teasing was meant to be friendly. It was something that friends did with each other. Ruffnut liked that better than beating her up. Did that mean... they were her friends now? She watched as they finished securing the ropes and mounting their dragons, ready to follow her into the battle that would be remembered by all the descendants of Berk. _Yes, _she thought, _they are._

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

The perimeter had been set, wooden stakes set up all around the edge of the shore and giant catapults behind them. Stoick hovered over a map of a battle plan with Gobber and Spitelout.

"When we break this mountain open," he said, "all Hel is going to break loose."

"And my undies," Gobber added. "Good thing I brought extras." This earned an eye roll from Spitelout. Stoick ignored them as he stepped forward, toward the mountain.

"No matter how this ends," he said, readying his hammer and shield, "it ends today." He raised his hand, signaling the catapults to ready. All went silent. Then, Stoick gripped his hand into a fist. The catapults fired.

A few large boulders into the side and the mountain was opened. They all gathered toward the dark entrance, Stoick leading. He signaled again and a catapult launched a flame, lighting the inside of the mountain cave. Thousands of dragons covered the walls, all staring out at the Vikings. Stoick took a deep breath. It was time.

He let out a battle cry and charged. They all did. The dragons moved as well, all flying out of the mountain. The Viking's swung, aiming at whatever dragon flew their way. But... they weren't hitting any. The dragons... they weren't attacking them. The mountain emptied. Stoick and his warriors turned and watched as all of the dragons flew away.

"Is tha' it, then?" came Gobber. He shrugged, then cried out in a loud voice, "We've done it!" The Vikings all cheered.

Stoick wasn't convinced. No. Dragons wouldn't leave without a fight, not unless they thought they had no chance. There had been several times more dragons than Vikings. They wouldn't have left like that unless... His eyes found the Night Fury on the boat. He was struggling against his restraints, even harder than he had before, whimpering and cowering back as far as he could. ...Unless they were scared off.

"_There's... something else on their island, dad..."_

Stoick tensed up. What on earth could scare off all of those dragons? Hiccup had known. She had tried to warn him.

"_Daddy, please! I promise, you can't win this one!"_  
It was too late now. They were there, and whatever thing had terrified Hiccup and the dragons so much was coming.

"This isn't over," Stoick cried over their cheers. "Hold your positions! Stand together!"

But they couldn't. They had no choice but to scramble as the mountain crumbled before them. What came out of it... Well, no one could really believe it.

A dragon, bigger than anything they had ever seen before. As big as a mountain itself. It's roar louder than that of a Thunder Drum. Each razor sharp tooth as big as a full grown Viking. Paws as big as one of their ships. Hiccup was right. They couldn't win this one.

The dragon stepped forward, forcing them to jump away. They ran to the ships, Hell bent on retreating. Stoick tried to stop them, knowing full well what the dragon would do. The Beast blew it's flame, setting fire to all the ships. The men ran away, down the length of the shore as the dragon smashed with its paws and closed its jaws around the masts.

Gobber appeared next to Stoick as he moved with the warriors down the beach. "I was a fool," he cursed himself. He turned to Spitelout. "Lead the men to the other side of the island!" He turned around then, back toward the dragon. Gobber followed him despite his protests and orders to go with them.

"No thanks," he said. "I think I'll stick around, just in case you do somethin' crazy."

He turned to him and pointed. "I can buy the men more time if I give that thing something to hunt!"

He turned to move away then, but Gobber grabbed his hand, locking it in a brother-like grip, a smile on his face. "Then I can double that time."

Stoick smiled as well. It was nice to that, even though they had failed, even though he would die, his friend would be with him. That somehow made the thought of death easier.

He gave him a curt nod, then charged at the dragon. "Here!" he cried to get its attention.

Gobber laughed. "No, here!"

Stoick picked up a spear and tossed it at the dragon's head. It didn't pierce the skin, but it effectively caught it's attention. He only had it for a second, however, until it was torn away from him. The shriek of a Nadder filled the air, then in the next second the Beast was blasted with several lines of fire.

Four figures flew through the smoke. Dragons. The dragons from their ring. And with... Riders? The teens. Both him and Gobber stared up in disbelief as Hiccup and Ari sped by right over them on the back of the Nadder, the others in tow.

"Every bit of boar-headed, stubborn Viking you ever were," said Gobber. Stoick could only nod in agreement.

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

"Okay," Hiccup shouted over the wind, adjusting her bow. They all bore their weapons, Hiccup having managed to convince the dragons that they wouldn't hurt them "Fishlegs, now would be a really good time for you to use your smarts! Break it down!"

The large boy complied. "Uh, large head and tail made for bashing and crushing. Stay clear of both. Small eyes and large nostrils. Relies on hearing and smell."

"Alright," said Hiccup. She assigned them each a job with ease and authority, just as a leader should. "Fishlegs, Snotlout, go on either side of that thing. Make some noise, see if it has a blind spot. Ruff, Tuff, distract it. Make it mad."

"No problem!" Ruffnut exclaimed with a salute. "Thats my specialty!"

"Says who?" came her twin. "Everyone knows I'm more irritating. See?" To prove his point, he spun his Zippleback head upside down and thrashed around, messing up their flight pattern.

"Just do what I told you!" shouted Hiccup. "We'll be right back!" With that they parted ways, Hiccup and Ari speeding toward the flaming boats and the others toward the dragon.

"There," Ari pointed, spotting the Night Fury. Hiccup guided Freyja to a halt and hovered over the nearly collapsed boat. Everything in him screamed at him not to let her go, not to let her fight the Beast. He couldn't stop her, though. Reluctantly, he released her as she handed him the reigns. He gripped her arm, however, before she could jump off.

"Hiccup," he said urgently. "We should focus on distracting that thing and getting everyone off this island. We'll die trying to kill it."

She raised an eyebrow. "What happened to stubborn Ari? He would never admit defeat."

"Even the most stubborn Vikings are smart enough to know when they've already lost."

She shook her head, eyes back on the Toothless. "We haven't lost. We'll beat this thing." She went to jump again, but he held her tight.

"How?" he asked. "Even with all of us, our dragons won't be able to hurt it. It's skin is impenetrable, and it's fireproof."

She looked at him then, her eyes revealing that she had a plan, something that he hadn't thought of. "Not on the inside."

"_Not so fireproof on the inside, are they?"_

He blinked, taken aback. Once again, she had blown him away. Hiccup was smart. _Very _smart. It was stupid. It was crazy. But it just might work.

He hadn't let go of her yet, but he knew he needed to. She needed to get Toothless out and into the air before the ship sunk. Suddenly, she grabbed him and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. It caught him by surprise, but he quickly recovered and kissed her back. It was incredible, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong about it. It was only their second kiss, not including the mistletoe, but it felt... final. It felt like she was saying goodbye.

She didn't say this though as she pulled away. Her lips just an inch from his, she said, "Go help the others," then slipped from his distracted grip and fell to the burning ship below.

**_~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

"Okay buddy, hang on," she told Toothless.

She got his muzzle off first, and then was struggling with the chains keeping him locked up. Both her and Toothless pulled at them for a few seconds, she but quickly realized it was hopeless. Time was running out. The ship would soon crumble. She searched around, looking for anything that might help her break the chains, but it was already too late. The flaming mast above them cracked and fell, breaking the ship in half and tossing them both in the water.

She was beneath the surface immediately. Her instinct was telling her to flail, to try and swim to the top even though she couldn't swim. But then she spotted Toothless, helpless and sinking to the bottom of the twenty foot water. She had to help him. He would drown. Without a second thought, she frantically started moving deeper into the water toward him.

He looked worried when he saw her, but not for himself. She immediately started pulling on his chains despite his protests, despite his ushering her to swim away, despite the fact that she knew it was hopeless. He pulled and pulled until the world started to slow. Her eyes closed and she lost her grip on the chain, the world starting to fade away.

But it didn't. Suddenly, she was grabbed by her collar and pulled quickly to the surface. Her first thought was that Toothless had somehow managed to escape and was rescuing her once again. But when they reached land and was set down, she opened her eyes to see her father diving back into the water. He had saved her. Now, he was going to save Toothless too.

Stoick approached the Night Fury and wadded in front of him for a moment, watching. The dragon had it's eyes closed, peacefully awaiting it's death. When he sensed Stoick, his eyes opened again and locked his gaze.

Stoick search his eyes, looking for something that told him he could trust the dragon, something that gave him a reason to free him. Everything in him told him to swim away. He still saw a beast, a deadly dragon out for blood. But, he saw something else. Deep within those green eyes, he saw something that was within himself as well. They both cared about Hiccup.

Without another thought, he reached forward and gripped the headlock, then pulled on it with all his might. Such a strong man as he was, it didn't take him long to break it.

Toothless was free. Stoick was running out of air. They locked eyes for a second longer, then Toothless lunged forward, grabbing Stoick by the shoulders, and dragged them both up to the surface.

Toothless set him down on the beach, then flew forward a bit more. He shook himself off, the turned to Hiccup and gestured toward the Beast.

"Right behind you, buddy," she said, running forward and hopping onto his back.

"Hiccup," Stoick said after he recovered. He grabbed her arm just as she latched herself in. "I'm sorry. Fer, fer everything."

"Me too," she said. Perhaps if they had both handled things differently, they wouldn't be in this mess. She highly doubted it, but each had still done poorly.

He spoke again. "You don't have to do this." He was asking her to stay, to not fight the Beast. He didn't see a way of her coming out of it alive either.

She smiled at him, a soft, sad one. "I have to try," she said. "Because that's what we do. We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard."

She could have sworn she saw tears come to his eyes at her words, at his words. But the filled with pride as well. He took her hand in both of his. "I'm proud to call you my daughter."

Tears threatened to fill in her eyes too, but she held them back. "Thanks, daddy," she managed. Then she pulled away and gripped the saddle. Taking this as his cue, Toothless crouched, then they both shot into the air.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

"She's up!" Ari cried, watching in relief as Hiccup and Toothless gained altitude.

He turned back to the others. Fishlegs was on the ground, him and his Gronckle having crash landed from noise disturbance. Snotlout was on the Beast's head, having fallen off his Nightmare for the same reason. "Guys!" he called to Ruff and Tuff. "Get Snotlout out of there!"

They complied, then both dragons turned to fly away. Ari and Freyja, however, were stopped as the Beast started inhaling. Freyja flapped with all her might, but they were being pulled back into the jaws of the monster. They were almost within it's teeth when Hiccup and Toothless came to their rescue.

Toothless shot one of his fireballs, knocking the Beast's head to the side and breaking Ari and Freyja free from the suction. The explosion, however, knocked Ari off Freyja's back. He was falling, and Freyja couldn't get to him in time, having been blown to the side herself. He was once again rescued by the girl and her dragon. Toothless caught him by his boot just in time and they soared away.

"Did you get him?" Hiccup asked, trying to look behind.

Toothless looked under himself, locking his eyes on the boy in his grasp. Ari caught his gaze and smiled. Toothless returned this and hummed.

They turned around. Toothless righted Ari as the lowered closer to the ground and dropped him on his feet. Then the pair sped off, back toward the dragon.

_Go, _he thought as he watched them fly away. _I believe in you. Just come back to me. _Hopefully she knew. Hopefully, somehow, she heard his thoughts.

She could almost feel Ari's gaze as they sped off. Her heart ached. She knew that the chance of her coming out of this alive were slim. She had already accepted that, and she suspected Toothless had as well. But she had to do it. They had to do it. The war, the death, the hate, all of it ended here.

"That thing has wings," she said as they rounded the monster again. "Let's see if it can use them."

They had to get it's attention somehow. Then Toothless could blast it and lure it into the air. The short sword was useless to her up there, so she pulled her bow off her shoulder instead. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and aimed. She didn't know if she would hit her mark. Granted, the target was much larger than the ones Ari had her practice with, but she was also on the back of a dragon in the middle of flight. It seemed almost as impossible as her hitting a Night Fury in the dead of night. But she had done that. She was determined to do this as well. They dove toward the monster. She pulled back her arrow, aimed, and fired.

The arrow hit home. Ari had taught her well. It wasn't a bulls eye, but it still sunk deep into the eye, and effectively caught the dragon's attention. The monster turned to them, roaring in rage. Then, Toothless shot one of his fireballs, a powerful one, knocking the monster to it's side.

Hiccup threw her bow back over her shoulder. "You think that did it?" she asked Toothless as the flew toward the sky. She got her answer when the monster leveled with them, it's humongous wings pumping powerfully, gaining on them.

"Okay buddy," she said, patting his head. "Lets see if this works." She gripped the saddle harder than ever, turning her knuckles white. Then, the shot up into the clouds, the monster in tow.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Yes, I had Hiccup use her bow. I thought she seemed more epic that way. :D Plus, I thought it really amplified how her and Toothless were working as a team.**_

**_So, 'Freyja' in Viking means 'Pretty lady'. I liked it, and it totally seemed like something Ari would name his dragon. Plus, I couldn't name the dragon Stormfly because in the books that's the name of Camacazi's dragon, and considering how she is going to be in part two... And the 'ja' is pronounced 'ya', so it's 'Frey-ya'._**

**_And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Alvin the Treacherous! _**

**_"No one will accept you now. Not with the mark of a slave. Too bad really, what with you being the Chief's daughter and all."_**

**_Anyone who has read the books will know what all the above entails..._**

**_Remember, don't be afraid to review! Those make me happy. :D_**

**_Until Monday!_**

**_~StoriesOfAnInsomniac_**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Monday... I hate Mondays...**_

_**But I also love them! Update day! :D**_

_**So this is the last chapter that you are going to get any sort of point-of-view from Hiccup for a while. She's going to be pretty out of it. Most of it will be in Ari's point of view, and some of it in Stoick.**_

_**Okay! Battle scene! I wrote it from the ground, because we all know what happens up there. **_

_**Anyway. Enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

The warriors had all gathered together, staring up into the dark sky. Hiccup was up there, as was the monster. Evidence of this appeared whenever a shot was fired, lighting up the sky like a crack of lightning. The monster's roar echoed through the air, chilling them all to the bone.

Unbeknownst to them, Ari and Stoick stood by each other. They both stood very still, eyes tracking wherever they saw movement or light. On the outside, they remained collected, unmoveable. The inside was a completely different story.

Ari's heart was screaming in worry. Hiccup, his Hiccup, tiny little Hiccup, was going against the biggest monster anyone had ever laid eyes on. And he could do nothing. Nothing but watch and wait and hope. Hope. She had to make it. He didn't even care if they defeated the dragon. All he cared about was that Hiccup made it back safe. Alive, and in his arms. Crushing reality pushed those thoughts away though. He knew that there was little chance. She did too. He could still feel the ghost of her lips on his. That breathtaking liplock that would now haunt him forever.

_Goodbye. _

He shook his head fiercely and trained his eyes back on the clouds. No. He refused. That was not goodbye. Hiccup would win this. She would come out alive. She would come back to him. But as the minutes passed, his resolve was slowly starting to crumble.

Stoick was nearly sick. His fists were clenched so hard that they were white. All he could do was watch, as any other Viking should, as a Chief should, and let Hiccup fight her battle. A battle that shouldn't have just been her's to bear.

This was his doing, he thought. Hiccup had been right all along. She had tried to warn him, but he didn't listen. No one did. Well, that wasn't true. The boy had. And it seemed that, with the rest of the training recruits flying beside them on their own dragons, the rest of them were on her side as well. Somehow, their generation had risen above the rest of them. Somehow, Hiccup had looked past the hundreds of years of war and death and tradition and saw what no one else had. Then, when hardly anyone was on her side, when her tribe had abandoned her and her father disowned her, she still led her few faithfuls headfirst into the battle without hesitation. Just like a leader.

And who was she fighting for? Her tribe. The people that rejected her and abused her for years. Mistreated. Misplaced. Misunderstood. She was all of those things. Her tribe gave her nothing, yet she offered her life in return. But why? For what?

'_We don't have to fight them.'_

The dragons. Their enemies. Or, perhaps past enemies. She fought to free them. She had managed to see the bigger picture, to befriend a Night Fury, and to see the real enemy. She fought for a world without killing, without war. She fought for peace. She fought for what was right.

And she offered her life for it. Hiccup was smart. She knew the chances of living going into that battle. She knew what would happen, and she held the belief, the hope that her death would be worth it. She hoped that Vikings would rise above all prejudice and give up their previous ways, to befriend the dragon nation. She hoped that their world would be set right.

_Okay, Hiccup, _Stoick thought. _I'll do that. Just be here to see it for yourself. _

The few agonizing minutes felt like hours as the battle went on. Still nothing. Even the flames had stopped. Suddenly, a black blur broke through the clouds about a half mile from them, followed by the monster. They were headed towards the ground. Fast.

Ari's breath caught in his throat. Toothless' prosthetic was on fire. It was burning up. Without that, Hiccup wouldn't be able to control it. They wouldn't be able to fly away from the dragon, or the ground that they were speeding toward. She had to make her move. _Now. _

The opportunity came. Even from there, Ari could see the green gas build up in the monster's throat. _Now, Hiccup. Do it now._

She did. They twisted around. Toothless shot a fireball. Right in the monster's mouth. The gas ignited. The inside of the dragon was on fire.

It all happened so fast. The monster's wings started to burn up. It couldn't stop it's fall. Hiccup and Toothless narrowly managed to get out of the way before the monster hit the island. When it did, it exploded. Walls of fire shot up all around, consuming the Beast and everything in it's path. Hiccup and Toothless were staying ahead of it, but then they couldn't. Toothless' fin was gone. Hiccup couldn't control it.

_No. _They were nearing the Beast's tail. They couldn't avoid it. _No. _Toothless slammed into it. Hiccup was knocked off, falling into the explosion. The last thing he could see was Hiccup and Toothless disappear into the flames.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Falling.

She was falling.

She could feel the heat around her. The flames. The wall of fire. It was getting closer.

She had done it. The Beast was dead. Funny. This whole time she was trying to save dragons. This whole time she thought she couldn't kill them. Yet, she had just killed the biggest one of all.

He body hurt. From the flying. From hitting the tail. Her lungs were burning. From the drowning. From the heat. She couldn't breathe.

Kill a dragon with a dragon. Weird. Generally, dragons didn't kill each other. Probably about as much as humans killed humans. But a dragon and a human killing a dragon together? A dragon and a Viking? It didn't quite compute.

She locked eyes with Toothless. He would be fine. He was fireproof. But she was falling. He wouldn't get to her, couldn't get to her. She was going to die.

She really was a Viking. She had just killed her first dragon. But she wasn't, because she had killed it with a dragon, her friend. Right? Plus, she was a outcast. Disowned. Right? No. Not anymore. On the beach. Her father accepted her back. So she was. She was the Chief's daughter. A Viking. Not a very traditional one, if she was. Small, weak, different. Shot down a Night Fury, let it go, befriended it, rode it. But she killed a dragon. The Beast. But she did that with Toothless.

Toothless was getting closer. So was the fire. She could feel the heat against her hands, burning them. Her hair. She could smell it being burned too.

So what was she? An Outcast? A Viking? Useless? Different? Smart? A traitor? A Dragon Slayer? A Dragon Rider?

Pain. Her left leg. White hot, breath taking pain. It felt like knives. Several of them, dug into her skin.

Who was she?

The heat lessened somewhat. Everything was dark.

Hiccup. She was Hiccup.

A hard _thud. _

The world went black.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

They ran.

Ashes filled the air, making it difficult to see and breathe. But they still ran, deeper into the white fog. All of them, toward Hiccup, Stoick leading the way.

"Hiccup!" he called out. "Hiccup!"

He could hardly see a thing. The world was white. But... There. Right there. A black dragon lay on the beach.

"Hiccup," he called again, jogging up to the dragon. He stopped just short of it.

The dragon lay on the ground, eyes closed and breathing heavily. Obviously hurt. A rough landing, by the looks of it. The prosthetic was gone, the whole system broken. And the saddle, burnt and worn. Empty. The saddle was empty. Hiccup was nowhere in sight.

"Oh. Oh, Hiccup." Stoick dropped to his knees. "I did this."

Ari pushed his way through the crowd. For some reason, they had all stopped running. They were all just standing there, looking ahead, but he couldn't see what. They were giving him looks, too. Not of irritation. But... sadness? Pity?

He broke free of the sea of large Vikings and came up by the teens. They were looking at him like that too. Someone, Ruffnut, grabbed his arm to hold him back. But they didn't need to. He had already stopped dead at the sight before him.

_No. _Their Chief knelt in front of Toothless. Unconscious Toothless, with and empty saddle. Hiccup wasn't there. _No. _

Hiccup was gone. Just like that. Gone. Dead. _No. _He couldn't believe it. He _wouldn't _believe it. _No. _He moved to step forward again, but another hand, Snotlout, came up and grabbed his other arm. Ari looked over at him. His face was blank, staring ahead. Expressionless. Closed off. _No. _He looked over to his other side to find Ruffnut eying him. He blinked. Her eyes were watered. It shocked him so much so, to see the strong girl that he hadn't seen cry a day in his life now spilling, that tears came to his eyes as well. _No... _His stubborn mind started to accept the truth.

_Hiccup..._

Stoick hadn't moved. He stared at the dragon for a long while. Finally, Toothless stirred. He gathered his surroundings, then met Stoick's gaze. For the first time, Stoick looked at a dragon without thinking that it wanted to hurt him. For the first time, he looked at one without a thought to hurt it. He looked at the dragon and realized just how similar he was to Hiccup. He, too, had gone against everything and fought for what was right. He befriended a human, a Viking. The Night Fury too had been this unknown thing, the thing that everyone knew about yet no one knew anything about. A brave soul that fought for not only his own kind, but for his enemy as well. He looked at the dragon, and he saw Hiccup.

"I'm so sorry," Stoick said, eyes still locked with the Night Fury. He was talking to the dragon, but he spoke to Hiccup as well. He dropped his head in his hands. "I'm so so sorry."

That's what Toothless was waiting for. Slowly, he started to unwrap his wings from around himself. He tucked them in, and there she was. Wrapped up tightly in his paws was Hiccup.

The crowd gasped. "Hiccup," Stoick gasped along with them. He grabbed the girl and pulled her to him. He looked her over. Her face was scratched up, her hands and arms burnt, her hair a bit singed, but she seemed alright. She was limp, unconscious. Just unconscious, right? He brought his ear to her chest. There it was. It was faint, but it was there. _Thump, thump, thump..._

"She's alive!" He cried. "You brought her back alive!"

The crowd cheered. The teens laughing, jumping up and down, and crying in glee. Ari wasn't sure what to do. He choked on a laugh of relief, but he still felt like he was going to cry. Hiccup was alive. She wasn't dead. Hiccup was alive. A smile started to form on his face. He felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest and he gripped his tunic over it. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes shining bright. Hiccup was alive. He started making his way over to her, Ruffnut in tow.

Stoick laid his hand on the Night Fury's head. "Thank you," he told him, "for saving my daughter." For a moment, they just looked at each other, dragon and Viking. Toothless nodded.

"Well, you know," came Gobber's voice as he appeared next to them. "Most of her."

Stoick shot him a look of annoyance and confusion. Gobber pointed down at Hiccup's leg, or what was left of it. Stoick was not a queasy person, but the mangled looking flesh on his daughters left calf and foot nearly made him sick.

Ari and Ruffnut appeared next to them. Ari ran both hands through his hair. "Oh, Gods," he said. He dropped to his knees beside Stoick. "She's alive." As if not even noticing the Chief's presence, he brought his hand up to Hiccup's head and pushed her bangs aside, then pressed his lips to her forehead. "She's alive."

No one really had time to react, as Ruffnut spoke. "For now," she said. They all looked to her. While the rest of them were just staring at Hiccup's face and celebrating, Ruffnut was staring intently at Hiccup's leg. She knelt down to the ground as well and gingerly turned Hiccup's leg around, examining it closely. She shook her head. "This is really bad. It looks like she had four swords stabbed into her and drug across her skin."

There was a whimper, but not from Hiccup. Ari looked at Toothless, whom had made the noise. But not out of pain, no. He looked guilty, his ears back and eyes wide in shame as he eyed Hiccup's leg.

Ari looked from the leg back to Toothless. "Oh," he said, realizing what had happened. "Oh, Toothless."

"The dragon did this?" Stoick asked, suddenly angry again. "He hurt her?"

Ari was quick to defend. "He saved her," he said firmly. "She was falling into the explosion. Toothless grabbed her and pulled her into his protection. He _saved _her."

Stoick's expression softened, but he didn't get a chance to respond. "Look," came Ruffnut, "it doesn't matter what happened. What matters is that Hiccup's leg is torn to pieces and shes losing a lot of blood."

It suddenly made sense to Ari and the others why Ruffnut had run up there with him. All Vikings had a limited extent of first aid training, but not like their Healer, whom was kept on the island mostly for she was too valuable to lose. Ruffnut happened to be the daughter of such, and was in line to be the next Healer. If anyone could help Hiccup right now, it would be her.

"What do we do?" Stoick asked, giving her control of the situation.

She looked at him. "I need and arrow and dressings, lots of them. And a blade, heated up with a dragon's fire." She looked at Ari. "Hold her down."

**_~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Ruffnut got the supplies she asked for. They used one of Hiccup's own arrows and her short sword. It was the smallest blade they had. Everything else the Vikings carried was much too big, and no one had a dagger. Some dressings were found and the rest were torn off tunics. Freyja was on standby to heat up the blade, her flame being the hottest and the most steady stream.

Ari held Hiccup close against his chest. It was easier to hold her still that way. She sat somewhat upright, her back against him, between his legs. He had an arm wrapped around her torso, holding her body and arms down. His other hand was on her head, holding it firmly to his shoulder. He leg was spread out in front of them, plenty of room for Ruffnut to work.

Toothless hovered over them, a nervous wreck. His head kept getting in the way, but Ruffnut pushed it away gently without even blinking. The Night Fury didn't react either. Toothless was smart enough to know that Ruffnut was helping his human, she was helping Hiccup. And no one bothered to try and get him to move away. They knew he wouldn't leave Hiccup. In fact, anyone who walked by too close to them would be growled at. Hiccup, Ari, and now Ruffnut were under his protection, and no one could come near them.

Stoick stood by and watched them work. He wasn't useful there. He had nothing to help. But Ruffnut knew what she was doing, and Ari had Hiccup. They knew what they were doing. Hiccup would be fine, he kept trying to convince himself as he made some commands at people on ship repair. She would be fine.

"Okay," Ruffnut said, having finished tying some dressings just above the wound and looking at Ari. "She could wake up, but it's unlikely. She will feel it, though, and thrash around or scream. Just, whatever you do, don't let go."

Ari's jaw hardened. He gave her a curt nod. Ruffnut glanced at Toothless then, perhaps worried about how he will react when she begins, but then she returned her attention to Hiccup. She placed and wrapped the arrow as so, then started twisting the tourniquet.

Ari's hold tightened as Hiccup's whole body tensed up. A strangled cry escaped her throat. As an automatic reaction, she tried to lift herself, to break free of Ari's arms, but he held her firmly to his chest. He brought his lips to her ear. "Shh..." he tried to soothe her. "I know. It's okay. I'm right here." He kept whispering things such as these to her. It seemed to calm her somewhat, but he still had to hold her down. Toothless was whimpering, crying with her. He brought his face away from her leg, obviously not upset with Ruffnut, and was now right up next to Hiccup's face. He was sniffing her, ears down, eyes wide, as tears spilled down her face.

Ruffnut stopped twisting and secured the arrow in place, finishing the tourniquet. Hiccup let out a strained sigh and relaxed a bit, if only a little.

"Okay," Ruffnut said, grabbing the blade. "This next part is going to be worse. We have to cauterize the wound. Remember, no matter what, don't let her go."

"I won't," he promised, more to himself than to her. He whistled then at the blue spiked dragon. "Freyja," he called, then gestured at the blade. Freyja squawked. Ruffnut held the blade out to her and she fired. The blade was red hot in seconds.

Ruff brought the glowing tip right up to Hiccup's leg. "Ready?" she asked Ari. He nodded, even though he wasn't. She pressed the blade to Hiccup's skin.

Hiccup cried out again, this time much louder, drawing the attention of many. Toothless cried with her. She thrashed and pulled at Ari's hold. His words did little to soothe her this time. He held her as hard as he could. He wouldn't let her go, though it broke his heart. She gripped his pants in her fists so hard he thought she might tear them. This continued until Ruffnut had cauterized all four openings. Hiccup relaxed again as Ruff started tying some wet cloths around them, but her closed eyes were a nonstop flow of tears. Ari's heart ached, but he thanked the Gods that she hadn't woken up. It would have been much worse if she had woken up.

Stoick had reappeared next to them, having been drawn by Hiccup's loud cries. "Will she be alright?"

"For now," was once again Ruffnut's answer. "But she can't stay here. The boats aren't being rebuilt fast enough. We need to get her back to Berk now to my mother."

"You'll fly, then?" Stoick asked, not seeming at all bothered by the idea.

Ruffnut nodded. "If our Chief allows it."

He returned her nod. "Make it so." He turned to Ari. "You'll go too. Secure Hiccup to yerself and the dragon you ride." He looked out at the repair work of the ships. "I should be back with the first group by morning. Watch over her until then."

Ari nodded. Stoick gave Hiccup a last look, then turned away toward the work being done. Ari watched him go, feeling as though this exchange between them had acknowledged something. It wasn't like before when he would ask him to do things for Hiccup, like walk her home or keep an eye on her. No, somehow this was different.

Ruffnut pulled him from his thoughts, urging him to get up. "Come on." She called hers and Tuffnut's Zippleback and shouted at Snotlout to gather them some ropes. "Tuffnut will just have to ride one of the ships back. We have to hurry."

Ari stood, carrying Hiccup in his arms. He stepped over to Freyja and she knelt down for him so he could easily climb on her. Toothless, realizing what was happening, started going ballistic. He wasn't at all happy with what was going on. He was jumping around, circling Freyja, whimpering and growling at the same time, very upset. Ari tried to calm the Night Fury with little success.

"Toothless," he said firmly enough for the dragon to stop and look at him. He tried to explain it the best way he could, hoping the dragon would understand. He pointed at Toothless' missing fin. "You can't fly." He pointed at Hiccup's leg. "Hiccup needs help." He pointed at the ships. "The ships are broken and won't get us there fast enough." He pointed back to Hiccup's leg. "Hiccup needs help _now._" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Toothless. You have to stay and ride the ship."

Toothless wasn't so easily convinced. He was still very upset and continued to express it. "We don't have time for this!" Ruffnut cried, tossing some ropes to Ari and helping him strap in. "We need to leave now. That tourniquet is very dangerous."

"How dangerous?" Ari asked. He had never actually seen one used before and didn't know the effects of such.

She shook her head, focused on tying the knot in front of her. "It's not just that. Cauterizing the wound doesn't always block out infection. That, coupled with the loss of blood flow to the area, could mean that we have to take drastic measures."

"Ruff," Ari said, grabbing her arm to stop her and force her to look at him. He was suddenly very in tune with what she was talking about, silently praying that she wouldn't say what he thought she was implying. "What kind of drastic measures?"

She held his gaze, eyes full of sadness and regret. His heart stopped at her answer, even though he already knew what she was going to say.

"Amputation."

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Dun, dun, dun... You didn't think that just because this is a gender swap that I was going to let Hiccup keep her leg, did you? Well, you'd be wrong. :S**_

_**I realize that this is a completely different side of Ruffnut that isn't shown anywhere else... Well, this is my version of her. I my mind, she is one of the smarter ones of the group, and I kind of always saw her as a healer. And healers have to be all cool, calm and collected. So, there you go. She has a healing task in front of her and all of that mischief and whatnot just shuts right off. I thought it fit pretty good.**_

_**So, I have a little assignment for you guys. So far I have just used the names of the teens dragon's from the show in here but... Idk... I think you guys could come up with something cooler. Got any suggestions? Let me know! I will pick the ones I like best and edit them into the story! :D**_

_**Okay! Quote time! From 'In the Eye of a Pirate', this one comes from... Ruffnut!**_

_**"You know, you guys are going to melt the snow sucking face like that."**_

_**Gosh. I LOL every time... Yes, when not in healing mode, she is still very mischievous and loves to tease Hiccup. In a friendly way, of course. :D**_

**_Until Friday! _**

**_~StoriesOfAnInsomniac_**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Yikes! Really late night post! Sorry guys, I was gone all day long. Just got home a bit ago. :(**_

_**Well, here it is! Hope it was worth the wait!**_

_**~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup woke briefly during the flight back.

They didn't get in the air until dusk. It was dark nearly the whole way, but the dragons knew where they were going. It had started raining, too. It was cold, and they were soaked to the bone. Ari held Hiccup close to his body, trying to keep her warm and shield her from some of the rain.

He went to check on her as he had been doing every minute or so. He glanced down at her to find her staring at him.

He blinked. "Hey," he said as soft as he could, but loud enough to be heard over the wind and rain.  
When she didn't respond, he took a better look at her. Yes, her eyes were open. She was very much awake, but she held a glazed look. He could tell that she wasn't aware of her surroundings or what was going on, and she probably wouldn't remember any of it.

She kept staring. "How do you feel?" he asked, unsure of what else to say.

She didn't answer him. Instead, her hand slowly came up to his face. She stroked her fingers along his jaw. "You're all wet..." She spotted her hand, also drenched. "I'm wet..."

He nodded. "Yes. It's raining." He wanted to talk to her, but he also wanted her to go back to sleep. If she stayed awake too long, she would start to feel the pain, she would become conscious of her surroundings. She would panic.

She kept tracing his jawline. "Are you... Are you dead, too?"

It was his turn to be confused. "Dead?" Then he realized what she meant. Hiccup thought that she was dead. She thought she had died in that battle with the monster. His expression softened even more. "No, I'm not."

That was a mistake. Her brows knit. "You're not-" she drew her hand away. "Then I'm not-" Suddenly, her body tensed up. Her eyes squeezed shut and her face contorted in pain. She gripped his tunic and cried out.

Ari immediately drew her closer, trying to soothe her. "Shh... I know. It's okay. I'm right here."

"What-" she gasped. "Why does it- why can't I-"

"Shh," he said again. "Hiccup, look at me." She did, her eyes clinging to his, to his words. "I need you to close your eyes now, okay? I need you to go to sleep." Another strained cry. "I know it hurts. Go to sleep. You'll feel better soon." She locked his gaze again, her eyes desperate. He pulled her head against his shoulder. "Go to sleep."

She didn't need much convincing. Her body went limp again, though he figured she passed out due to the pain. At least she was out, he thought. That was better than her being awake in that state.

"She woke up?" He heard Ruffnut shout from the Zippleback.

"Just for a moment," he responded. "She was in a lot of pain."

She nodded, expecting this. "Let me see her." Her Zippleback head brought her right up beside them. She looked Hiccup over, putting a palm to her forehead, then two fingers to her neck, and then checked her breathing. Last, she moved aside some of the bandages to assess the wounds. Ari was nearly sick. It had gotten worse, a lot worse, and it had only been a couple of hours. It had taken on several different shades of color.

Ruff covered it again, blocking his view. His gaze shifted to her. Her features had taken on a very serious, yet upset look. "Ruff," he said, trying to get her to look at him, to fill him in.

She did. "She'll lose the leg."

His heart sunk. Hiccup couldn't lose her leg. How would she...?

"How will she fly?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe, if we cut below the knee..." she sighed. "I don't know. For now," she placed her hand back over Hiccup's forehead, "lets just hope infection doesn't set in."

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

They landed right in front of the Healers house. The few that were in the village pointed up and exclaimed at them in wonderment. Some raised their weapons.

Ari cursed under his breath. They hadn't thought about that. No one in the village had witnessed what happened on the island. In there eyes, Hiccup was still a traitor, disowned and outcast. He was as well. And now they were riding into Berk on the back of the dragons from the arena. Bes case scenario, they would be turned away and Hiccup would get the help she needed. Worst and most like case scenario, they would be killed on spot. Fantastic.

Ruffnut was quick to hop off her dragon and stop them. "Don't attack," she said with her hands raised, a level of authority in her voice that came with being a healer. "There's no time to explain, but they won't hurt you. Hiccup is hurt and she'll die if we don't help her right now."

No one had lowered their weapons yet. "And why should we let ya?" One woman asked. "She's a traitor. Should be banished to Outcast Island. The boy too." She pointed at Ruffnut. "And what about you? You ride a dragon yourself. You on there side, then?"

Ruff opened her mouth to speak, but Ari beat her to it. He stepped up beside her, Hiccup in his arms. "The fact that we rode here on the back of them should be proof enough. The dragons are not our enemies. The was a monstrous tyrant ruling over them. Hiccup just killed that monster. She saved the warriors, her and her dragon. They saved us all."

Someone else spoke up. "Great story lad. But who's to say yer tellin tha truth?"

He grit his teeth, wanting to snap back, but fighting stubbornness with stubbornness would get them nowhere. "I understand why you don't believe us, but I'm not about to let Hiccup die. Let us help her, keep us all under watch in the Healing house. The Chief will be back in the morning and all will be explained then." He looked up at Freyja. "The dragons will go willingly back into their cages." The dragon huffed, but didn't object.

He turned toward them again. No one had said anything yet. Ari spoke again. "It's that, or if we're telling the truth, someone gets to explain to the Chief why the daughter that saved us all and whom he just accepted back is dead."

That seemed fair. No one wanted to think about what would happen should Hiccup die and they be telling the truth. Begrudgingly, they agreed to it. Ruffnut went with a few of them to lead the Dragons back to the ring while Ari rushed Hiccup inside.

Ari thought he would catch the Healer's startled eyes as soon as he walked in, but her eyes were trained elsewhere, on Hiccups leg. She motioned him to set her down on the table. He did, briefing her on the situation more lightly than he did outside. She merely nodded. He didn't know if she believed him or not, but at that moment it didn't matter. At that moment, all she was focused on was Hiccup.

After assessing the damage, she gave a curt nod. "She'll lose the leg," she informed him, same as Ruffnut. "We have to do it now. Infection is already startin to set in the wound. Don't want that to spread. Just above the knee should be good."

"No," Ari said suddenly. She looked up at him then for the first time. "Below the knee." Hiccup couldn't lose more than that. Above the knee, she would hardly be able to walk, and she would never be able to fly. Not Toothless, anyway. No. She couldn't lose more than that.

"Lad," the Healer spoke, "I know this is hard, but we must do what's best for Hiccup. If cutting above the knee means a greater chance of her living then-"

"You don't get it," he said harshly. "You cut above the knee and she won't fly. You take her leg away, she'll lose everything. You'll take away her _life._"

Her face was blank, but he could see she was thinking, calculating the situation as she stared into his eyes. She could easily ignore him, do what she thought was right. After all, his reasoning was that she wouldn't be able to fly, which was still a very traitorous act in the villager's minds. His argument, though it was decision making in his mind, was probably very weak in hers.

But she surprised him by nodding and saying, "Below the knee, then." She started prepping Hiccup for the amputation, then surprised him again. "You'll be doin it."

It took him a moment to process. Once he did, his head snapped up. "What?"

"You'll be doin the amputation," she repeated more clearly.

"What?" He shook his head, stepping back. "No. No way."

She reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Lad, yer the strongest an' have tha most skill of anyone here, and your weapon is too is strong and sharp. Hiccup will have the best chance with you doin it."

He shook his head again, eyes wide in panic. "I-" he tried. "I don't- I can't-"

"Yes you can, Lad," she assured him. "You have too. She needs you now more than ever."

He looked at Hiccup. His Hiccup, little Hiccup, limp and pale and shivering on the table. She was going to lose her leg. There was still a very big chance that she would die even if they did, but she would definitely die if they didn't, if he didn't. His heart ached. He didn't know if he could take it, if he could stomach it. But he had to. Hiccup needed him.

"_I guess that's just what I would want someone to do for me. To be there for me, you know, if I needed it." _

She needed him. She needed him to be strong. He was taking a part of her away, but she needed him to. He knew she would forgive her, but he didn't know if he would ever forgive himself.

Finally, he nodded weakly, somberly. He drew his axe from behind him and gripped it tightly in his hands, the axe Hiccup had made him. He wondered if she ever considered him using it to save someones life, let alone her life, by cutting off one of their appendages a possibility. He certainly hadn't.

The Healer had finished preparing the area, and now looked to him. He saw her, but didn't take his eyes off Hiccup's leg, his task. "Aim straight," she heard him say. He didn't even nod. He knew he wouldn't miss.

Heart pounding out of his chest, a stray tear falling down his face, he raised the axe above his head. He took a deep breath. He aimed. He swung.

A sickening thud. Hiccup's whole body convulsed. She screamed in shock. She lunged up and forward. The Healer was ready and caught her, pressing a cloth over her mouth and nose. She went limp again, her eyes rolling back into her head, and the Healer gently eased her back on the table.

Ari wasn't breathing. He had released his grip on the weapon. It stayed, planted into the table, separating Hiccup's leg from the rest of her. He stared at it, at what he had done. He suddenly felt very sick.

He ran out, the Healer calling after him. He ignored her and pushed past the guards out the door. He didn't go far, just around the side of the house. Then, he was promptly sick all over the grass. He couldn't even remember the last time he ate, and yet his body emptied all it's contents on the lawn.

When he was done, he just stood there. Hunched over, breathing shaky and heavy, one hand clutching his tunic over his heart and the other on the side of the house, supporting him. He didn't know how long he stayed there. He could feel the guards behind him, but doubted they would do anything. But then he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He tensed up, but then relaxed at the voice.

"Are you alright?" Ruffnut asked.

He shuddered, then tried to stand up straight, running a hand down his face. He could taste salt in his mouth. It was then that he realized that not all the water on his face was rain.

"I did it," he answered her. "I cut off Hiccup's leg."

Ruffnut was silent for a moment, the only sound being the rain as it fell around them. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but confident. "Good," she said. "You saved her life."

"Did I?" he asked.

"Yes," she said firmly, "you did. She would have died if you didn't do that."

"But at what cost?" he asked, turning to face her. "What will life be like for Hiccup now? She'll be crippled, probably grounded forever." It was still unclear to him how she would fly Toothless with a prosthetic on the leg she used to control their flight. It didn't seem like anything could be done.

Ruffnut shrugged, eyes cast down. "We'll figure something out," she said a bit less confidently. Ari didn't get a chance to respond. "Come on. Let's go inside with Hiccup."

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup was building a fever, but she was shivering violently. She was soaked through the bone due to the flight back. It was dangerous. They needed to get her warm. Ruff and her mother dried her off and changed her clothes. They put several furs on her. They laid her on a cot by the fire. It didn't seem to help at all.

Ari was staring down at her again. She was still out cold. Whatever the Healer had put over her face for a few seconds really did the trick. But she was shivering so hard, and he couldn't ignore the very distinct absence of body where her leg should be. It looked so unnatural, so bizarre for the shapes below her waist to be uneven. He almost wanted to be sick again, but he was so numb, so empty, that he didn't think he could.

"Would you like to hold her?" the Healer broke his thoughts. He looked at her, confused and hopeful at the same time. "She's not warming up fast enough. We need to break this fever. Body heat seems out only option." She shrugged. "It's either you or Ruffnut, and I don't think she would mind so much you doin it."

He nodded, a little more eager than intended. "Okay."

"Get out of those wet clothes, then."

He took off his boots and tunic. They gave him some cloths to dry off with and some fresh trousers. They left him without a shirt, however, saying it was quicker and more efficient heating that way. When he was done, he stepped up to the cot and lifted the furs.

Hiccup's shaking only intensified as the air rushed in. He slipped under them quickly, then positioned himself against her. He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head under his chin, holding her close. She shivered against him, but it soon started to slow. She started to relax against him, even burying her head into his neck.

He didn't sleep, not through the whole night, though he was completely out of it, thinking. he hardly even noticed when Ruffnut or the Healer would check on Hiccup or redress her wound. His mind was elsewhere, but on the same topic.

Hiccup would never run again. Not like she used to anyway.

"_It's the one thing I'm good at. Running, I mean."_

That wasn't at all the only thing she was good at. Flying was one of them, but it was uncertain if she would do that either.

No. She would. He would figure something out, no matter what. Hiccup had managed to figure out a way to make a crippled Night Fury to fly. He would figure out a way for her to, on the back of Toothless.

She had done so much, gone through so much Hel to try and fix everything, to make it all right. She had offered herself up to death, offered herself up for her tribe and the dragons. She gave it all, yet got something worse in return. Her life, without the very thing she had fought to do freely and protect.

Hiccup had done so much, and now she had lost her world. But not for long. Ari would make sure of that. He would figure something out, help her, fix her, no matter what. She had taken care of him once, held him through the night when he was sick, fixed his axe for him. Now, it was his turn. Now, he would take care of her, fix her.

He drew her closer, holding her through the night with the heat of his body, to keep infection from setting in.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Oh, the irony and fluff... **_

_**Like I said, Hiccup is going to be completely out of it for a few chapters. We will be in the third person minds of Ari and Stoick. Mostly Ari. Gosh, I just love him so much. Ari is amazing. 3**_

_**So, I got kind of an interesting review just a couple of days ago. Someone asked me if Snotlout was gay. Well, no. Not in my story he isn't. I didn't mean to portray that at all, though i can see how you would think that with some of the comments he makes around Ari. In my mind, Ari was just the 'guy to be' and Snotlout was always like, 'oh dude we're the same, we're totally awesome and like best friends'... Idk. Maybe I kinda failed at that. :S But in answer to your question reader, no he is not. This will become much more evident in the next two parts. Sorry if I confused you. :S**_

_**And now, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one comes from... Tuffnut!**_

_**"I just really like the open sea, you know? I feel like there's a whole world out there to explore, a whole world that I can create for myself, with me as Captain."**_

_**Prepare yourselves for the dreaded Pirate Tuffnut! :D**_

_**Until Monday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Monday... Blah. :P**_

_**Don't really have anything to say so... here ya go!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Stoick returned late the next morning.

Both him and Toothless practically leapt off the boat. Toothless, having no idea where to go, followed Stoick closely, frustrated that they weren't moving faster. He would bound ahead, then stop and wait for Stoick to see if he was going the right way. Eventually, he got so restless that he moved behind the large man and tried pushing him forward.

"Calm yerself, beast," he said, pushing at the Night Fury's head. "We'll get there." Toothless just huffed.

Onlookers, villagers that had stayed behind, were in awe at the ease of the interaction between the two. Their Chief and a Night Fury. It seemed unreal. No one could find their voice to say anything, and no one dared get in the Chief's way to his daughter, let alone with a Night Fury at his side.

They made it to the Healer's. Stoick swung the door open, letting Toothless in and coming up behind him. They spotted Hiccup immediately and rushed over. The Healer and the girl, Ruffnut, were there, redressing the wound on her leg, or lack thereof.

Her leg. Her leg was gone. Stoick stared down at it. Toothless whimpered and leaned forward, sniffing the stump. The dragon cried out in distress. Unconsciously, Stoick placed his hand on the dragon's head.

Stoick cleared his throat, pushing back his tears. He turned to Ruffnut. "I trust you made it home fine?"

She shrugged. "We ran into a bit of... trouble," she said, pointedly looking at the guards at the door. Stoick turned to them. They were gaping at him, at Toothless. Right. He hadn't thought about that. His only thought was getting Hiccup back to the island as soon as possible. "You can't really blame them, though they nearly killed us. Locked up our dragons, too."

"Right," Stoick said. "No, that was my mistake. I should have sent you with something." He turned back to the guards. "You are dismissed. Release the dragons and under no circumstances will you harm them."

"Don't approach them with weapons," Ruffnut added. Stoick nodded in agreement. The guards left.

"It's true, then?" the Healer asked him. "We are at peace with the dragons?"

Stoick nodded. "There is still much diplomacy to do and things to discuss, but," he glanced briefly at the Night Fury hovering nervously over Hiccup like a mother hen, "yes. For now we are." He looked back down at his daughter. She was pale, unmoving, her breathing short and silent. "Hiccup saved us all." He eyed her missing leg. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He looked up at the Healer, then, thinking that the other might have a better idea, turned to Ruffnut. "How will she fly?"

The girl shook her head. "We're not sure yet. It wouldn't be a problem, except it was her left leg, and Toothless' flight is controlled with the left stirrup because of his injury." She sighed. "I'm sure some kind of adjustments or a particularly unique prosthetic could be made, but that's way beyond me, or any of us really. Hiccup is the one with the brains to do something like that."

She was right. Hiccup would be the only one who could fabricate something like that. He sighed and looked back down at the small girl. Overwhelming guilt washed over him. If only he had listened to her. If only she had more help. If only, if only, if only...

"This is my fault," he said. He truly felt that. Maybe, if he had listened, Hiccup wouldn't have faced that monster alone. Maybe then she wouldn't have fallen off the saddle. Maybe then she wouldn't have lost her leg.

"Don't say that, Stoick," the Healer, Ingrid, chastised, speaking casually. They were almost exactly the same age, grew up together like the teens had. They went way back. She had been one of his wife's friends, the lady Hofferson being another. Suddenly, he felt like he was back during the night his Valhallarama died. He had said the exact same thing, blaming himself. Ingrid scolded and comforted him at the same time. They were so young, barely twenty years.

"_There was nothing you could have done, Stoick," _she had said. "_There was nothing any of us could have done. She's gone, and we can't change that. But now, you have a job to do. You have a little girl at home that just lost her mother. She's terrified and confused. You need to step up and be there for her, be more than just her father. You have both roles to fill now."_

He had failed at that. He wasn't there for Hiccup. And now, she was broken, on the edge of death, and it was all his fault.

"There was nothing you could have done," Ingrid went on, sounding just as he had nearly ten years ago. "There was nothing anyone one could have done. From what Ruffnut has told me, that monster was beyond anything we could have imagined. It's a miracle from Odin that she survived at all. Yes, her leg is gone. We can't change that. But now, you have a job to do. Losing something like that is one of the hardest things you can go through. She'll be terrified and confused. You need to step up and be there for her, be her father and help her through this. She needs you, Stoick."

He would. He promised that to himself, to her, right then. He would be there for Hiccup. Never again would he turn his back on her. Never again would he ignore her. He would help her. He would listen to her. From then on, he was on her side, no matter what.

"Thank you, Ingrid," he said softly, tears threatening to come to his eyes. She nodded, and suddenly they were back in the roles of Chief and Healer.

Stoick ran his hand across Hiccup's cheek, then rest it on her head, brushing her bangs away. A sheen of sweat covered her skin, but it was cool to the touch.

"She had infection," the Healer informed him, "But not nearly as bad as it could have been. Once again, it's a miracle she isn't dead. At this point, there's a chance she will pull through. There's still a chance infection could set back in, but I have high hopes. Might have been better if we had cut above the knee, but that Hofferson boy refused to cut any higher."

He looked up at that. "Ari performed the amputation?"

She nodded. "Aye. He was the strongest an' most skilled of anyone else in the village. He did well, though the poor lad suffered great shock from it. He recovered, though. Even kept her warm through the night."

Stoick raised his eyebrows. "Through the night?" He shook his head. "Still as mischievous as you ever were."

A soft smile grew on her face. "Relax, Chief. Someone had to do it. Body heat is the most effective way of keeping someone warm and breakin fevers. Kept her alive, he did. Poor lass was shakin like a leaf and burning up. Left as soon as we told him her fever had broken, though, early this morning."

Stoick ran his head alone Hiccup's forehead again, then looked up at her. "Where is he?"

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Ari wasn't hard to find. He was making a lot of noise.

He was in the woods. Someone had cleaned his axe and set it beside the cot he laid on with Hiccup. As soon as they told him that Hiccup's fever had broken for the time being and he let go of her, he saw it. It just sat there, staring at him. The axe that Hiccup had made for him. The axe that he used to cut off her leg.

He was at it for hours, throwing the axe at tree after tree, crying out every time he did so. He had never gone so hard for so long. His muscles screamed in protest. His heart was pounding out of his chest. He had a sheen of sweat covering his whole body. But he couldn't stop. It was keeping him from breaking down, keeping the guilt out of his mind. He would keep going, at least until the axe was broken.

His tiring body was getting sloppy. He yanked the axe from it's firm stick in the tree, spinning as he did so. The action was too quick, not accounting for the weight of the axe. The blade came in contact with his forearm.

He grunted in frustration and pain. He dropped the axe and fell to his knees, gripping the injury. A pretty good cut, probably in need of stitching, bleeding pretty heavily. He went to rip off some of his tunic, to try and stop the bleeding and wrap it, but his hand was too shaky, his muscles too weak. Instead, he cried out again and punched the tree.

That seemed to bring him back. He punched the tree again, lightly this time, then just laid his palm out flat. His heartbeat was starting to slow, his breathing calming, the world starting to come back into focus. He was suddenly aware of a presence behind him other than his body guards.

Stoick was watching him, having witnessed the last couple of minutes of the boy's performance. The guard had informed him that he had been at it since early that morning. It was rather impressive, how long he had gone like that, his aim still remarkable after all that time. He started getting sloppy, though. Too quick, rough with his movements. He injured himself. He was coming out of it, however. Stoick finally felt it safe to approach him.

"Leave us," he told the guards. He approached Ari slowly, stopping ten feet behind him. "Ari," he said, at the same time Ari said, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Stoick asked.

Ari dropped his head in his hands, running his fingers through his sweaty hair. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"For what?" Stoick asked, exasperated.

Ari stood and faced him, his face a mask of shame. "I did it," he said, stepping up to him. "I cut off your daughter's leg. With this axe I-" He grunted again, and moved to throw his axe again.

Stoick caught the handle, shocking him, and forcing them to lock eyes. "With this axe you saved her life. With this axe, you saved my daughter." Stoick sighed and dropped the handle. "Yes, she lost her leg, but better that than her life. I understand how hard that must have been for you, but I can see that, by your reaction," he looked pointedly at the wrecked foliage, "that you care a lot for her."

Ari blinked. He hadn't expected that, and he certainly didn't expect the discussion of Ari's feelings for Hiccup between him and her father to come up like that. He expected something more... threatening.

Stoick went on. "Which means that we have something in common. So you must know how grateful I am for your strength, for being there for Hiccup when she needed you most." He sighed again, and this time shame filled his eyes. "You always have been. More so than I. So, thank you, fer watching out fer her."

Ari wasn't sure what to say. That was more than the Chief had ever spoken to him before. And he was... thanking him? It was so strange, yet not really. Everything in their world had gone so backwards that this wasn't entirely surprising.

All was silent for several moments. In answer to Stoick, Ari settled on a nod. Stoick nodded as well. "Come then," he said. "Let's get that cut looked at."

He turned away, back in the direction of the Healer's. Ari stayed for a moment. He looked back down at the axe in his hands. Suddenly, he didn't want to look at it anymore. Never again. He lifted the ate and threw it once more, sticking it firmly in a tree.

Stoick stopped and turned at the noise. Ari walked past him, away from the axe in the tree. While the boy continued forward, Stoick stayed and looked at the axe. He knew Ari was still upset with himself, and doubted he would ever forgive himself without help. Only Hiccup could help him with that. But, maybe Stoick could too.

The large man walked over to the axe. He gripped the handle and pulled the axe free, then walked back into the village.

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Ari walked back into the Healer's. The others were there now, having caught the first boat back. They all sat around, hovering or just watching as the Healer changed Hiccup's dressings again.

They gave him sympathetic looks as he walked by, but he ignored them. He didn't want their sympathy, and he didn't want to be reminded that it was him. It was him that performed the amputation. It was him. She shook his head vigorously.

He went to Hiccup's side, standing next to Toothless. She didn't look so good. Her hair was wet, a sheen of sweat covering her body and sticking the hair to her skin. She was shaking, and her face was a frightening pasty color.

"Infection's come back," the Healer informed him. "She'll just have to fight it through."

Toothless was distraught. He had his head on Hiccup's abdomen, whimpering. When the Healer removed the last dressing on Hiccup's stump, however, he lifted his head and leaned into the stump, then started licking it.

"Ew," Tuffnut said behind them, wrinkling his nose. "That's disgusting." Snotlout nodded in agreement, his face a light shade of green. Fishlegs looked like he actually was going to be sick, shaking like a leaf.

"You guys are such whimps," Ruffnut mumbled, moving to push Toothless' head away.

Her mother came to do the same. "Back, beast," she said, scolding him. "Won't have you makin' this worse."

"Wait," Ari stopped them. "Let him do it."

They stared at him, confused. "Why?" the Healer asked.

Ari shook his head. "I've... seen this before." He had. a month ago, when Hiccup had hurt her head. It had healed so quickly. He looked at the healer. "You didn't give Hiccup anything for her head about a month ago, did you?"

She shook her head. "Can't say that I did."

Despite himself, a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. Toothless had licked her head wound, making it heal faster. Hiccup might actually make it through this. He addressed the rest of the group, reporting his findings.

"Really?" came Fishlegs, suddenly interested. "That wasn't in the book."

Ari shrugged. "Well, we've never tried using dragons for any kind of healing before."

"Make sense, though," said Ruffnut, nodding. "Animals lick their wounds. Maybe dragon spit is just more.. powerful. I wonder what else they could help us with."

Ari put his hand on Toothless, stroking his smooth scales. "I guess we'll find out."

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

_**Sorry. Not a very long chapter. Don't worry! Next chapter is a lot longer!**_

_**So, a little bit more in depth on Stoick's past. Him and the Ingrid are bffs. Sort of. And Ingrid is incredibly mischievous. :D She cracks me up. Also, some more of Ari in distress. He's still a bit mentally unstable, almost at his breaking point. He's going to have a serious melt down soon, but then things will start to get better. I can't keep Ari like that for too long. It upsets me. D:**_

_**Okay! Quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one comes from... Hiccup!**_

_**"I've... got... your sword..."**_

_**That is probably one of my favorite moments in that part. Can't wait for you guys to read it!**_

_**Until Friday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac **_


	21. Chapter 21

_**So, technically, it is Saturday... Or, the very early hours of such... D: D: D: D:**_

_**I have fail you guys. **_

_**I really did mean to post this earlier... however, things go in the way.**_

_**Which brings me to some good news...**_

_**Today (yesterday), was my senior dissertation presentation thing... AND I TOTALLY PASSED. XD GUESS WHO GETS TO GRADUATE?! XD**_

_**So anyway, I was doing that all day, then was out celebrating and whatnot... therefore, a technically-Saturday-post. I hope you can forgive me. Good news is, this wont happen again. I mean, I never have to do that presentation EVER. Things will also probably be updated quicker too, like in the morning, because I don't have any of that 'must pass to graduate' stress. My work load has been severely lightened... :)**_

_**I hope you guys like this chapter! Hope it was worth the wait... This is Ari's breakdown. It all gets better from here, though. :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

What was left of the ships started to return. Nearly everyone was back by that evening and repairs were underway. They weren't the only ones to land in Berk, however.

Dragons were amongst them as well. Slowly, cautiously, they started poking their heads around the Village. At first it was just the dragons from the arena, the teen's dragons. But then others started coming. With the Monster dead, they seemed to now know what to do. Nothing was tying them to the island anymore. There was no need for them to raid. That, and the dragons had started to see things. Some had seen Toothless and Hiccup together in battle. They saw the rest of the teens flying as well, and as the day wore on, they saw the peaceful interactions between the teens and their dragons. The dragons, being ever curious, decided to explore this.

It made people nervous. Chief Stoick had commanded them not to attack unless in defence, unless attacked first, and that they would be charged for provoking a dragon. What were they to do when a dragon approached them, it's face just inches from their own as they looked them over? What were they to do when a dragon just started following them around?

Some Vikings, the older, more stubborn ones, refused to interact with them. Some would even shout at them to go away or leave them be. Others, however, had a great curiosity build up within them.

It was a slow, tedious process. Dragons approached the Viking that interested them. They would look them over as the Viking sweat and fidgeted nervously. The dragon would follow the Viking around. Eventually, a look was shared. They locked eyes, and things just clicked. They were both scared, but they understood that. Curiosity overshadowed the fear. Then, they would touch. The Viking would cautiously hold out their hand, just as Hiccup had done, and the dragon would respond, just as Toothless had done, pressing their snout to it. It was remarkable. No one could quite believe it. It's safe to say that repair work was slow.

All of this was happening outside. Ari wasn't aware, though. He stayed inside, with Hiccup. Ruffnut had fixed up his arm for him, and then he sat. He sat in a chair at Hiccup's bedside. Toothless was beside him, the length of his body and tail wrapped around the cot, encircling the girl. Freja laid a few feet away, the end of her tail wrapped around his chair and ankle. Her presence would be comforting, but Ari's mind was much too far away to register it.

He sat there for hours, all day and through the night, eyes never moving from Hiccup. He stared at her leg, that unnatural absence of body beneath the furs. He gazed at her face, her pale, sweaty cheeks. Her breathing was shallow, uneven. She was still fighting infection, and it was taking it's toll. She looked broken, half dead, a fraction of the girl she had been. Physically, maybe. But there was no telling what Hiccup would be like when she woke up.

How would she react? Part of him worried. He was worried that she would be terrified, distraught. Would she be taken by grief? Lost to it, never to return? Would she turn bitter or volatile? Angry at the world?

He shook his head. No. Hiccup wouldn't do that. Hiccup, his Hiccup, was stronger than that. She would fight through it. She would fight off this infection, and the grief to follow. She was strong. Stronger than him.

He felt heavy. His head, his chest, his heart. He was so weighed down, clouded by emotion that kept him from doing anything but sit there by Hiccup. So much emotion, some of which he felt he had no right to feel. He felt guilt. It was him. He had cut off her leg. He felt the frustration of knowing that there was nothing else he could have done.

And then the grief. Overwhelming, unmovable grief. He was lost in it, unable and unknowing of where to go or what to do. Hiccup had lost her leg. It was gone. He had cut it off. But it was _Hiccup's _leg. Not his. So why couldn't he climb out of the hole he had dug himself into?

Hiccup wouldn't react like this, he thought. Not if it was his leg. Hel, she wouldn't even act like this with it being her _own _leg. She would move past it, help him move past it, because that's who she was. She was strong.

Toothless shifted around the cot. How would she fly? That was still uncertain. Maybe she wouldn't. Not with Toothless, anyway. No. She had to. They had to. He wouldn't, he couldn't, be responsible for taking that away.

He had to do something. He had to help her, fix her, somehow. She had done so much, so much for everyone else. Now, she had lost what she had been fighting for. But not for long. No. He couldn't let that happen. He had taken her leg from her. He would give her one back.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Ari was making noise again. Freyja was, too. She stood outside the forge, being too big to go inside, squawking and flapping her wings around, clearly upset at the state her boy was in.

It was late morning, so everyone was awake by then, and Ari was starting to attract attention. He was moving about frantically. He had managed to heat everything up, though he had made it way too hot. He was melting things, pounding things. But he was using the wrong kind of metal, the wrong hammer. He dropped things and tossed them aside in frustration. He was meeting little success, and was voicing this accordingly.

"Ari?" A voice came from the doorway. He looked up, but didn't stop working. It was Ruffnut, her brother, Snotlout, and Fishlegs at her side. "Ari, what are you doing?"

He almost laughed. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm making a prosthetic for Hiccup."

No one said anything for a moment as he kept pounding away. He could feel their eyes on him, especially Ruffnut's. She was studying him, the mental state he was in. He certainly didn't look sane. His hair was in a state of disarray, more so than usual. Dark bags clouded underneath his eyes. His movements were quick and shaky, his hands failing to perform the simplest of tasks. And his eyes... They were wide, holding this unhinged glint in them that could only be achieved by a combination of several days without sleep and a heart full of guilt.

He could hear Ruffnut behind him, whispering to one of the boys to go get Gobber, the Chief, and Ari's mother. "I don't need any help," Ari called to them. "I can do this myself." Just as he said that, his hand slipped and came in contact with hot iron. He seethed, gripping his burnt palm close to his body. He cursed loudly and groaned at the pain.

Ruffnut spoke again, this time her voice much closer. "Ari, I think you need to step back. Here, let me see that."

He pushed the throbing in his hand out of mind and spun around, face flushed in anger and desperation, finding her just a few feet behind him. She reflexively took a step back at his threatening stance. "No," he said in a low voice. "_You _need to step back."

"Hey!" Tuffnut came to her side. He stood between his sister and Ari, pushing him back a bit. "Back off, man! No one threatens my sister but me!"

Ari roughly pushed Tuff's hand off his chest and leaned forward, getting right in his face. "You need to back off! All of you just need to leave me alone!"

Tuffnut was not so easily moved. He held his ground. "Look, I get you're upset and everything, but that's no reason to act like a dick. I'll tell you one more time; _back off._"

Ari shook his head violently, breathing hard. "No!" he shouted. "You don't get it! None of you understand!"

"Understand what then, lad?" a voice came from the door. Snotlout had returned with Gobber, Stoick, and Ari's mother. Gobber looked around his shop with eyebrows raised. "What have you done to my shop?"

At that, Ari went back to his failing work. "I'm making a prosthetic for Hiccup."

His mother approached him. "Ari, my boy," she said tenderly, placing a hand on his arm. He paused at the touch of his mother. "You must stop. This is not the answer to your pain."

His shaking only intensified. He slipped out of his mother's grasp, though less rough than he had been with the others. "No. I have to do this."

"But why? You don't even know wha' yer doin' lad!" said Gobber, still clearly upset at the state of his shop.

Ari was shouting again. "Because I did it!" He threw his tools to the side and ran both hands through his hair, eyes wide and desperate. "Don't you get it? It was me! I did it! I cut off Hiccup's leg!"

Stoick was staring at the boy. He had gotten worse from the day before. Unable to quench the pain through destruction, he tried to kill it in a hopeless attempt a creation. He could see the crazed look in his eye. He could seen the guilt, as clear as a dragon sitting on top of him would be, weighing him down. Suddenly, he felt like he was back at that night when his wife died. He looked at Ari and saw exactly what he felt.

"Alright, that's enough of this," Stoick muttered more to himself than anyone else. Ari had moved back to the hammer and picked it up. Stoick grabbed the boy's wrist, however, forcing him to drop it, then pushed him against the wall to restrain him, holding him there with his forearm.

Ari struggled against him. "Now you listen to me, boy," Stoick ordered. His voice held such a low and commanding sound that it made Ari stop and look at him. "I'm going to say this one last time, so hear me now, because we won't be going around in circles anymore. You saved Hiccup's _life._"

Ari opened his mouth to argue, but Stoick wouldn't let him. "No. This is something you need to learn right now. It's a part of life, a part of being a Viking, and a part of being second-in-command. You're going to lose things, things that you really care about. You'll get scars and stories, lines and limbs alike. People will _die. _Those that you love will be ripped away from you without warning. You're going to have to make tough decisions, ones that mean life and death. It's the hard reality of life. That won't ever change."

Ari had started crying, even though he was in front of the Chief, even though there were other people around. He couldn't even remember the last time he had cried, let alone in front of people. Regardless, at Stoick's words, they fell silently from his eyes.

"But life goes on, Ari," Stoick went on. "We survive. We function. Without our loved ones or with our battle scars. Hiccup will move on. She will function, just as others have. But she'll need us. She'll need you to help her through it, to adjust. You and I need to be there for her."

Ari had sunk down to a sitting position, completely drained of energy. Stoick let him, now leaning in front of the boy. Ari put his head in his hands. "But... Her and Toothless... They may never fly together again."

"But she's _alive_. Which would you rather have; Hiccup dead, or Hiccup with one leg that may not fly on the Night Fury again?" Ari looked up at him, locking eyes. "She's _alive, _Ari, and that's because of you and your strength. You made the tough decision. You were there for her. She's lucky to be alive, and that's because of you. You saved her life."

Ari took this in, the glazed look in his eye slowly starting to fade. "She's alive..."

Stoick nodded. "Yes. Life is going to be very different for her now. She'll need us. She'll need you. You've always been there for her. Regrettably, more than I ever was. Be there for her now. Help her function, and, perhaps, something can be done about her prosthetic and saddle."

"Aye," Gobber said, coming up beside him. "Already been workin' out some designs myself. Could, you know, be workin' on it now, had my shop not been thrown about."

The cloud in Ari's mind was starting to dissipate. Hiccup was alive. All this time, he had been so focused on what she had lost, so distraught with the unknown, that he had completely disregarded what she had gotten away with. Hiccup was alive. She had cheated death. He had helped. Hiccup wasn't dead. She was alive. He had saved her.

The world started coming back into focus. He was then aware that his mother and Ruffnut were at his sides while Gobber and Stoick stood in front. "She's alive..." he said again. He looked at each of them, trying to express how he was slowly regaining his sanity.

Gobber gave him a smile. "There he is," he said, patting the boy's cheek. "Come on back to us, laddie." He did, shaking his head slightly, as if trying to get rid of the bad thoughts. Hiccup was alive. She wasn't dead. She was alive. Yes, he did it, but he saved her.

Ruffnut had grabbed his face, turning it to face her own. "Ari," she asked, looking in his eyes, "when was the last time you've eaten or slept?" He couldn't even remember. Sometime before everything. He hadn't slept since the night before the battle, and even that was little as his head was heavy with blissful thought due to the moment he and Hiccup had shared in the cove. And food? He couldn't remember the last time he had even looked at food.

"I... I don't know..." Just those few words were hard to get out. He felt himself fading, his body shutting down at the lack of energy. He could have fallen asleep right there had they let him.

"Come on," Ruffnut said. "Lets get you to your feet."

With the help of Gobber and Ari's mother, they were able to help him stand and lead him away. There was no way he would make it to the Hofferson house, so they settled for the cot in the back of the shop, the one in Hiccup's workroom room. He didn't even register that that was there they brought him until they had laid him down, and only vaguely aware of Ruffnut wrapping up his injured hand. "Hiccup's... room..."

It was just his mother with him now. She sat on a stool beside the bed. "Yes, Ari. This is her workroom. Don't think she'll mind ya using it."

Ari didn't respond. His eyelids were much too heavy to open. His mother sighed. She brought a hand up ran her fingers through his hair again and again, a comforting gesture that he hadn't felt since he was little. He plunged even quicker into unconsciousness.

"Sleep well, my boy," he heard his mother whisper. "Heal that heavy heart of yours."

Hiccup...

She was broken now. That was his fault. But she was alive. That was also his fault. He had saved her, for a price. But, now he realized that he would be willing to pay it again. Hiccup would have a prosthetic made. They could maybe even design one for her that would work for the saddle. Looking at the broad view of things, Hiccup's missing leg was not really that important. No. What really mattered was that Hiccup was alive. She was alive, and she was there. She would get better. She would be in their lives. She would be his.

He finally lost himself in a deep, heavy sleep. He dreamed of Hiccup playing with his hair.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**Oh, the affects of going days without sleep... Poor Ari. He needs to sleep for like, a whole day AND night. Lets let him, shall we?**_

_**Okay guys, one more chapter until Hiccup wakes up, and then there's an epilogue, and then... that's it. Wait. No. After that is... In the Eye of a Pirate! :D I'm so excited for this. You have no Idea...**_

_**And now, a quote from such! This one comes from... Ari!**_

_**"Please tell me this isn't a dream."**_

_**Well, there you have it folks! I'm going to go sleep now, considering I haven't done so in nearly 24 hours... So, goodnight! **_

_**Until Monday! (ON TIME, that is...)**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Monday! Yay! :D**_

_**Phew! This is the last chapter until Hiccup wakes up guys! It's really long... I hope you like it! Let me know! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

It was early morning the next day when Ari woke. He felt remarkably better. His stomach was growling, being completely void of food for over two days. He needed to eat something. But not yet.

He stepped out into the sunlight. Freyja squawked at the sight of him. He smiled, his first real smile in days. She had been out there waiting for him. She pressed her snout to him, sniffing, then turned her head to the side to look him over.

"Hey girl," he greeted her, petting her shiny scales. She hummed in pleasure. She turned her head to the side though, looking him over again. He laughed softly. "I'm all better now, Freyja. I promise. Come on. We have some things to take care of."

The first thing he did was go to the Healer's, Freyja in tow. There he found that Hiccup had gotten remarkably better as well. Her breathing was more even, and the Healer informed him that her fever had broken; she had fought off the infection, with the help of Toothless licking her wound every time they dressed it. She was still pale, but she was getting there. But sitting there wouldn't make her heal faster.

He surprised everyone by showing up for breakfast in the Mead Hall. Freyja even followed him in. It made a few people uneasy, but no one said anything. He got his food, then made his way to the table all the teens sat at.

They greeted him. Snotlout pat the spot next to him. "Nice to see you up and about," he said. Ari sat while Freyja made herself comfortable on the floor at the end of the table.

"And, you know, not wrecking things in a sleep deprived rage," Tuffnut added.

"Yeah," Ari drug out, scratching the back of his head. "About that." He looked up to meet Ruffnut's eyes. "I'm sorry. I was being a real," he glanced at Tuffnut, "...dick."

She shrugged, but he could see a hint of a smile growing on her face. "Eh, don't worry about it. Trauma and lack of sleep tends to reveal the more... unpleasant sides of a person."

"Ha! I knew there was a meathead in there somewhere!" cried Snotlout, playfully wrapping an arm around his head and giving him a noogie.

A few weeks ago, Ari might have shoved him off, pushed him to the ground, maybe punched him. But now, he laughed. Helping save the world on the back of dragon while going against everything they believed in together can really change the dynamics between friends. They were all a bit different now. Closer, more in tune with one another. Something had shifted in their group. Something small that seemed to change everything. Hiccup.

He lightly pushed him away, still smiling. "Thanks guys."

"So," came Tuffnut, "hows Hiccup?" Ari raised and eyebrow. "Oh come on, we all know you went over there before you came here."

He just smiled and shook his head. He couldn't deny that. "Her fever broke. She fought off the infection." There were a few 'whoop's and cheers of excitement. "I think she's going to pull through."

"Oh, she will," answered Ruffnut. "It's pretty much a given once they've fought off the infection. It's impressive, really. That scrawny girl's a fighter."

Snotlout frowned. "Yeah but, Toothless totally helped her with his weird dragon healing spit."

"Yeah," Tuffnut agreed. "Isn't that, like, cheating?"

Ari smiled softly to himself, remembering when Hiccup confessed to him about her tricks in the arena and he called her, teasingly, a cheater. Then, when he had used one of the tricks on Freyja, she had shot the term right back at him.

"_I'm not... cheating, per say. They're just... a different fighting style."_

Really, they were all 'cheaters' now, according to the 'Vikings of Berk Code', rejecting any interaction with dragons at all. The code would have to be rewritten now, he figured. A lot of things would have to be re-thought of and redone. An idea came to him.

"Ruff," he said, loud enough to stop the boy's light bickering. "When do you think Hiccup will wake up?"

She shrugged. "Could be anytime, really. But we'll keep her under with some medicines for longer. It would be too painful at this point. So, maybe a week? Why?"

He smiled. "Because Hiccup needs a leg, and Toothless needs a saddle."

Tuffnut groaned. "Please tell me you're not going to trash the Forge again."

Ari shook his head. "No, but we are going to use it. Hiccup has some design sketches of the saddle and fin in her workroom. With Gobber's help, we should be able to come up with something for them."

"We?" Ruff asked curiously, but by the smile on her face he could tell she already knew what he was thinking.

"Yes," he confirmed. "We are going to rebuild Toothless' saddle and design a prosthetic for Hiccup. She deserves that much from us. Hel, she pretty much saved the world. She deserves a lot more than that, but it's the least we can do."

Snotlout shrugged. "I'm game. I'll bang things with my hammer." He chose his moment to flex. The others rolled their eyes, but voiced their agreement with the plan.

"I also have another idea," Fishlegs spoke for the first time. They turned to him. He was fidgeting with his fingers and biting his lip nervously. "Well, you see, I got a good look at Hiccup's saddle for Toothless, and then I started thinking about us and our dragons..."

Ari liked where this was going. His hand went down and pet Freyja's head as he spoke. "You think we should make saddles for our dragons too?"

In answer, Fishlegs pulled out a notebook and opened it, placing it on the table for all of them to see. "I've already started designing some based on Hiccup's saddle and by looking at our dragons. They're pretty simple, considering that we don't need a pedal system, but we'll all need belts to latch in."

They started flipping through the book. There were simple designs for each of their dragons. They weren't as good as Hiccup's would have been, but his measurements were still impressive. It shouldn't have been that surprising, really, considering how Fishlegs knew pretty much everything there was to know about dragons. While Hiccup was an expert in dragon behavior, Fishlegs was showing to be an expert in dragon anatomy.

Ari's eyebrows furled as they kept flipping through the pages. There were several more species with saddle designs drawn, even some that Ari hadn't seen around the village. "Legs, how many of these did you draw?"

Fishlegs squirmed a bit before he responded. "Well, I started going through the Dragon Manuel and compared their measurements and drawings and came up with some designs for each of them," he answered sheepishly.

They all stared at him, either jaws dropped or eyebrows raised. "But, you know, we can just focus on our dragons for now," he added quickly.

"Well guys," Ari said after a moment, bringing them back, "looks like we have some work to do."

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

True to Ruffnut's estimate, Hiccup was unconscious for a little over a week, kept under by the Healer. In that time, things around Berk started to change rather quickly.

After retrieving Hiccup's designs for Toothless' saddle and many hours of their own designing, Gobber and Ari were able to come up with a concept for Hiccup's prosthetic. It would have a spring-like system, and would latch into the stirrup. Assembly was underway.

The saddle was a bit trickier. What they had left of the one Toothless wore during the battle was almost completely destroyed, and the notes and drawings Hiccup made for them were written to be understood by, well, Hiccup. But, with each of them assigned to a part, they were able to assemble it all and figure out how to put it all together.

Having Toothless handy helped. Ari managed to convince him to leave Hiccup's side a few times, taking him out to walk around and then to the forge. They were able to measure him and try different things out. At one point while he was there, Ari brought out the fin that Toothless could control himself that Hiccup had stowed away in her workroom. He remembered Hiccup talking about it, how Toothless hadn't wanted it then. But he had to be getting restless, being grounded for so long. He would want it for right now, right? It was broken, but he had found the design for it and figured it would be an easy fix.

"Do you want this for now?" he asked the Night Fury. "Just until Hiccup wakes up?"

Toothless huffed. Before Ari could react, the dragon grabbed the thing in his mouth and hopped over to the fire, tossing it in. With that, he huffed once more and then stalked out of the forge, back in the direction of Hiccup. Ari was too shocked to do or say anything. The bond between those two was much stronger than he thought. Sure, Hiccup had told him about it, but now he saw it in action with his own eyes. Toothless wouldn't fly without Hiccup. It was such a concept, almost too much for him to wrap his brain around.

"What was that?" Snotlout asked, him and a couple of the others walking in, eyeing Toothless and then the mass of burning metal and leather in the fire.

Ari shook his head. "Nothing," he said. He looked at the fire as well. "It's in the past."

When not working on the saddle or prosthetic, the teens worked on the saddles for their own dragons. This was much easier. They could all treat and sew leather together, it being a rather simple task. All they really had to do was take measurements and follow Fishleg's designs. Most of them only took a few days to complete.

Freyja was perfectly still as Ari put the saddle on her for the first time. It fit well, and she didn't look bothered by it at all. It didn't seem like it was rubbing up against her scales uncomfortably either. But really, this needed to be tested in action.

He made a 'click' sound twice, catching her attention. He had been doing that lately, making different noises and training her to respond in different ways. She was a quick and willing learner.

She knelt down further and he hopped on. He shifted around the saddle, getting comfortable, then latched his belt in. He gripped the holds, testing the feel on this hands. All seemed good, and he was confident that, if for some reason he fell, Freyja would catch him. The excitement and nervousness was overflowing in his chest. But still, he paused. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He felt Freyja underneath him, and tried to match her even breathing. He could feel her powerful body shift, ready for take off. And then, softly, just barely, he could feel her heart beating in time with his.

He opened his eyes, a smile now on his face. He pressed his ankles into her side slightly, then clicked twice again. This would be their take off signal. Freyja was smart, figuring this out quickly, and didn't hesitate to jump in the air.

At first, he felt dizzy, still not used to leaving the ground so fast, or at all really. His stomach flip-flopped. He gripped tighter on the saddle. He had to close his eyes for a minute, willing the world to stop spinning. Freyja sensed his slight distress and evened out quickly. It took a moment, but Ari finally opened his eyes.

At that moment, he felt instantly better. He still got that rush, the one where he felt like he would fall off a cliff any moment, but now it felt good. It was exhilarating. He felt the adrenaline working through his body as the wind blew his hair around, messing it up again. He looked out at the world, over the island of Berk and the great blue ocean. He looked up at the blue sky, the clouds, and the sun. He laughed. It was so incredible, so amazing to be up there high in the sky on the back of a dragon, somewhere Vikings had never thought they would be. Until Hiccup, that is. And up there, in that moment, soaring through the clouds, defying gravity and tradition and everything else, he felt like he was cheating. And he _loved _it.

He laughed again. Freyja, sensing his having relaxed, picked things up a bit. She sped up and gained altitude. He crouched low on the saddle as she did so, making the change easier. They were flying away from Berk, over the ocean. Ari pressed his left ankle slightly into her side. She responded, to his amazement, turning as long as he pressed into her. He stopped when they were going back in the direction of the island and she flew straight. Just like that, they started to grow in tune with one another. Just by simply putting pressure or leaning a certain way, the dragon would respond. They communicated with ease, and soon they were able to preform more complicated moves.

They climbed. They spun. They did flips in the air. Ari was having the time of his life. At one point, they dove sharply, spinning at the same time. They pulled up just short of the village centre, speeding by some shocked Vikings. Some looked in awe. Others shook their head in mock annoyance, though smiles could be seen underneath their looks of disapproval. It truly was remarkable. Yes, they had seen Hiccup do it. But now, seeing Ari moving with ease on the back of a dragon he used to fight, and the other teens starting to fly their own dragons, it all started to feel more real to them.

Ari and Freyja landed a while later. He unlatched himself and hopped off of her, completely breathless in amazement. He looked up at her, eyes bright and hair completely windblown, opening his mouth to praise her and then pet her. Thats when he saw the mark on her face.

The smile on his face faded as he looked at it. It wasn't that big, just some discoloration on a two-palm sized patch of scales, but there it was. He knew where she had gotten it from. That day in the arena, when smashed her with his axe and Hiccup's shield after the... incident. She had healed quite well, and probably still would, but he could tell that she would always have some sort of mark there.

He brought his hand up to it as she leaned down to examine his sudden change in mood. He pet it softly. It didn't seem to cause her any pain, as she wasn't reacting to it, but it still tore at his heart. "I hurt you," he said softly. He felt guilty. Freyja didn't even seemed fazed by it though. Had she forgotten? "That day when I hit you really hard after we knocked over the maze. Even after I left a scar on you, you still want to fly with me? Be my friend?"

She hummed and pulled away slightly, then pressed her snout into his palm, the one with the scar on it from when he cut it on one of her spikes, poisoning him.

He blinked. Suddenly, it all made sense to him, why Toothless and Hiccup had created a bond even after she shot him out of the sky and why dragons were so quick to accept the Vikings as non threats. Forgiveness. The dragons could see deeper into the souls of the Vikings than any of them had thought. The dragons knew that the Vikings had just been defending themselves and protecting their livelihood. Toothless had known that Hiccup hadn't meant to hurt him and that she had no intention of killing him. Freyja knew that he was sorry for hurting her, and that he had not intention of ever hurting her again. She understood, accepting that he had been blind before, and was also apologizing as well. His hand, the poison, it had been her fault.

He pet her softly. "Yeah," he said, "I forgive you, too." Freyja cooed in response.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup was moved back to her house after a few days, needing only minimal care from then on. Ari carried her the whole way, the others and Toothless in tow. A bed was set up for her downstairs to make it easier to care for her. That, and she definitely wouldn't be walking up and down any stairs for a while.

There was never a moment when at least two or three of them weren't there. They all helped take care of her, working through the day in shifts. Ruffnut was there nearly all day. Fishlegs and Snotlout helped her in the afternoon. Ari was there every morning with the twins. They all congregated there in the evening, just sitting around, eating, talking, waiting for Hiccup to wake up.

She was looking a lot better. She didn't look so ghostly anymore. Ari's mother had cut her hair, getting rid of all the burnt ends. It was considerably shorter now, reaching just to her shoulder blades, but it looked much healthier, that copper color shining bright. She had lost some weight, which was saying something for Hiccup, but they were helping her gain it back. They would work some broth and tea into her, sometimes milk. It was a slow and somewhat messy process, but they made it work.

"How much longer?" Ari asked one morning. He held Hiccup up, leaning her against his chest and tipping her head back, while Ruffnut worked some broth into her.

"Just a few more days," Ruff answered, knowing he was asking about how much longer Hiccup would be asleep. He desperately wanted her to wake up, but he wanted her to be in the least amount of pain as possible. The wait was agonizing. He asked Ruffnut the same thing every morning, but she was patient with him.

That particular morning, just as they were finishing up and laying her back down, Stoick walked in. They addressed him accordingly, and he nodded in acknowledgement. "I need to speak with Mr. Hofferson privately for a moment."

Ari's stomach dropped. He had known this was coming. Now that he had recovered and Hiccup was just days away from wakening, they were going to have a... 'talk'.

He heard Ruff and Tuff stifle their laughter next to them. He shot them a look of death, which only made them snicker louder. "O-of course... Chief..." They walked quickly out the door, bursting into laughter as soon as they were outside, but before the door was completely shut. Their laughter echoed through the room, then was followed by a deafening silence.

Stoick cleared his throat, making Ari jump slightly. "So," Stoick began, "I believe we have some important matters to discuss."

"Yes, Chief," Ari answered respectfully, hands behind his back and looking down.

"It's some to my attention that you've become interested in my daughter." Ari flinched slightly at that. This was a like a formal meeting, like they were discussing whom Hiccup would be married off too. Yes, he cared for Hiccup more than anything, but hearing it like that...

He swallowed. "Yes, Chief."

"Hmm." Stoick stepped forward, circling Ari slowly. Ari didn't dare move. "I've spoken with your mother. She says that you haven't discussed any sort of arrangements or offers for a bride price yet."

Ari nodded. "She speaks the truth, Chief."

Stoick had rounded him, and now faced him with his eyebrows raised. "Do you have no intention of marrying my daughter?"

Of course he did. But he couldn't. Not right now. He swallowed again. "I do, Chief. One day."

"One day?" he asked, looking for clarification.

Ari nodded. "Yes. You are aware of my family's financial status. I can't afford a bride price at this time, let alone one for the Chief's daughter."

"So then what are your intentions?" Ari knew what he was really asking. What are you doing so blatantly showing affection for my daughter? Showing affection in general was pretty unheard of as it was, and he and Hiccup weren't even engaged. "I've also heard that you've slept with her. Just the other night, but also several weeks ago I believe."

Ari couldn't hide the blush that creeped on his neck. This was no doubt the work of the twins. "Yes," he confirmed. "I was very sick a few weeks ago, poisoned by a Nadder spike. And Hiccup needed... help... fighting off the infection. I swear to you Chief, nothing else ever happened. I would never dishonor Hiccup like that."

He looked up to meet his Chief's eyes. Stoick stared at him hard, practically boring holes into the boy's head. After several agonizing moments, he seemed satisfied and released Ari's eyes. "So," the Chief said, circling the boy again, "this 'one day'. Tell me more about it."

Ari gave him a curious look to the side. Suddenly, he felt like he was six years old again, trying to convince the Chief to let Hiccup work in the Forge, only this time he was asking for her hand. It took him a moment, but he soon answered him. "One day I plan to meet your price and marry Hiccup."

"How?" he pressed.

"I will work every day, any work I can find. On top of that, I'll continue training to be second-in-command in order to support her until she should take over as Chieftain. I'll do whatever it takes." He locked eyes with him again. "I care for Hiccup, more than I've ever cared about anything before, and I'd do anything to be with her." He held his gaze for a moment. "Should the Chief approve," he added quickly.

Looking at that boy, seeing the determination shining in his eyes just as it had nearly ten years ago, Stoick almost smiled. Yes, he would be a good match for Hiccup indead.

He stepped right in front of him, forcing the boy to look up. "I believe you," he said, making Ari blink in shock. "I look forward to seeing your hard work. And, perhaps..." he clapped a hand on his shoulder, "something can be worked out."

Ari's head was spinning. What did this mean? That Stoick had agreed to give him Hiccup's hand? That he would be lenient on the bride price? Ari wasn't sure, but he knew some sort of agreement had been made between the two of them. He couldn't fight the smile of relief that came to his lips. "Thank you, Chief."

Stoick nodded. He turned to go, but before he did, he gripped tighter on the boy's shoulder. "Know this though," he said in a low voice. "Should you ruin her before you are wed, I will personally see to it that you won't live to see the morning after."

With that, he left, leaving the boy frozen in fear. Of course, he would never do that. But the threat itself made him shudder.

He heard Toothless snicker behind him, bringing him back. He whipped around and glared at the dragon. He had been there the whole time, draped across the bottom of the bed, his tail wrapped around Hiccup, silently observing. "What are you laughing at?" Ari asked. This only made Toothless snicker more. "Oh, shut up you stupid lizard," he grumbled, making his way over to the bedside. He dropped down on the stool there with a sigh, turning to Hiccup with a soft glare. He brought a hand up and pushed some of her hair aside. He sighed again. "That things I go through for you."

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

The group sat around the bottom floor of the Haddock house, surrounding Hiccup and the fire burning at the hearth. Hiccup was expected to wake any day now, and they were all anxious for her to.

They had all finished eating, and were now just laying around. Ruffnut was attending to Hiccup, making her more comfortable. She turned to her brother. "Tuff, will you go get an extra pillow from Hiccup's room upstairs?" It wasn't really a question, more of a demand. He opened his mouth to argue, but was silenced at the death glare he received from his sister. He sighed and did as he was told, grumbling all the way up the stairs.

A few minutes passed, and he hadn't returned. Snotlout was, surprisingly, the first to notice. "Hey, where's Tuffnut?"

Ruffnut looked up, looking irritated. "He hadn't come back yet? Go get him, will ya?"

"Why me?" the large boy exclaimed.

"Because you were the one to notice and I'll give you a broken eye socket to match the broken nose Hiccup gave you if you don't," was the girl's response. Ari chuckled softly, remembering that day very clearly. Snotlout grumbled the same as Tuffnut, but also did as he was told.

Once again, several minutes passed and still neither boy had returned. "Seriously?" Ruffnut exclaimed. "Legs, go get those idiots and haul them back down here." She mumbled something about the pervs probably going through her underclothes, making Ari's jaw tighten automatically. Fishlegs did as he was told, smart enough not to even question the Viking girl.

For a third time, no one came back down the stairs. Ari and Ruffnut shared a look. "Want me to go check it out?" he asked.

She sighed. "No. That place seems to have a whirlpool effect on boys. I'll go too."

They made their way upstairs and into Hiccup's room. Ruff opened her mouth and readied her fists to scold and give them a fierce beating, but when she saw what they were looking at, she stopped head.

They boys were looking all around Hiccup's walls. Her pictures. Ari had seen them before, but the others hadn't. Ruff and Tuff were the only other ones that had been in her room before, and that had only been briefly, and they hadn't been paying attention. Ari smiled as he watched all of their reactions. "Pretty incredible, right?"

"Yeah..." Ruff managed after a few moments. "Amazing."

"Hiccup drew all of these?" Tuff asked in disbelief.

"Yup," Ari said proudly.

"She's very talented," came Fishlegs.

"Hey look!" Snotlout exclaimed. "There's me!"

They stayed up there for nearly half an hour, just looking around and admiring Hiccup's work. Slowly, they were starting to see what Ari had come to see. They were starting to understand Hiccup, how she saw the world. They couldn't help but stare in awe.

After a while, they realized that the very person they were admiring was still downstairs, unconscious and alone. They quickly grabbed a pillow and made their way back down there.

"You know," said Tuffnut as they reached the bottom, "I couldn't help but notice that there wern't any drawings of Hiccup up there."

Ari shook his head, his expression a bit sad, and answered him. "No. Hiccup doesn't draw herself."

They frowned. Snotlout was the first to ask. "Why?"

Ari sighed as he sat down. "Hiccup never really saw herself as one of the Tribe, and Hiccup only draws what she sees. Therefore, no drawings of herself."

They were all silent for a few moments. They all knew that they were partly at fault for this. The whole tribe was. Hiccup had been rejected from a young age, ever since her mother died and she had become particularly... strange. She was pretty much an outcast, and the teens had had a hand in making sure she knew that, either verbally or physically. Guilt washed over them.

Ruffnut finally broke the silence. "Well, it won't be like that anymore." The others nodded in agreement. Suddenly, she frowned. "Now that I think about it, it didn't always use to be that way, did it?"

There was another pause as the others thought about it. Ari remembered, but memories were slowly coming back to the others as well. "Yeah," Snotlout agreed. "She use to hang out with us a lot, didn't she?"

"As I remember it," added Tuffnut, "Hiccup was always the one leading our little group. She was always getting us into trouble."

Ruffnut surprised them with a fit of laughter. "Hey, remember when Hiccup convinced us to help her play a game with Gobber by hiding all of his hands around the village?"

They all started laughing, remembering. "Yeah," Tuffnut managed after a few minutes. "I was jealous that _we _didn't come up with that! Gobber was so pissed!"

Snotlout remembered something as well. "I remember going on an 'expedition' in the woods looking for trolls and getting lost. We were out there for half the night until our parents finally found us."

Fishlegs spoke next. He looked at Ari. "You too were pretty much inseparable. She was always dragging you around, but you didn't mind. You were, like, her second-in-command."

Ari smiled softly. Yes, it had been like that. As little children, they had been so close, all of them, and he was her second-in-command. He smiled even wider, knowing that it would be like that again soon.

They sat there for hours, talking about Hiccup. They shared story after story of their small friend, chatting and

laughing the night away.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**I loved this chapter... Everything is all coming together, and the teens are starting to understand their once lost but now regained friend! I also loved Ari and Freyja's flight. Great bond building. :) Also, I gave all the dragons saddles. They way the teens were just sitting on the necks of the dragons in the show didn't look comfortable or safe for either party...**_

_**And who couldn't love the 'talk' between Stoick and Ari? Yup. Had to know that was coming. Just so you know, Stoick isn't being a jerk here. A bride price was very widely accepted back then and completely reasonable. It still happens today. **_

_**Okay! Who's ready for Hiccup to wake up? ME! :D **_

_**But first, a quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one is from... Ari! Even though the last one was him too...**_

_**"I love you so much."**_

_***dies of happiness* **_

_**Until Friday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Good evening/morning! **_

_**Huh... I guess not having a senior presentation doesn't help me post on time...**_

_**Yup, it be the extremely early hours of Saturday again. I suck. But maybe its the fact that its... SPRING BREAK. :D **_

_**Yeah I know, not a good excuse... I'm a partyer guys, and I tend to do that before the important stuff... :S**_

_**Well, here it is folks! The last chapter! On Monday there will be an epilogue but, this is it! Hope you guys like it!**_

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

_Uhg..._

Hiccup groaned softly.

_What... What time is it? _

She felt like she drank a barrel full of Mead. Her whole body hurt. Her head pounded. She had yet to find the energy to open her eyes.

_How long have I been out?_

She was having trouble remembering recent events. She felt like she had no short term memory at all. She could only recall certain generic things. Her name was Hiccup. She was a Hairy Holligan, daughter of the Chief, Stoick the Vast. She had a friend named Ari.

_Ari..._

No. More than a friend. A rush of feeling went through her, as well as some memories. Them training together. Him being sick. Them kissing in the moonlight. Them flying on the back of a Night Fury.

_Toothless..._

Toothless. Her best friend. Her dragon. They weren't supposed to be friends. They were supposed to hate each other. She was supposed to kill him. But she didn't. They didn't. She knew that dragons weren't bad.

_The monster..._

The queen bee. That _thing. _It was the bad one. It controlled all the other dragons. She tried to tell everyone. They wouldn't listen. But then... then they fought it. They... they won. Right?

It was all coming back to her, her last few seconds before her blackout. Toothless shooting his lightning ball into the Monster, it exploding on the ground. They were flying away, but then she fell. She fell of the saddle. The pain started to come back to her. The flames against her arms. The blinding pain in her leg. And the heat. Oh, the heat. And then everything was black.

Had she died? She thought she had, but apparently not. This was clear as another wave of pain washed over her. It wasn't that bad, bearable at least, but it proved to her that she was alive. So... she had survived? How?

A huff of air blew on her face, followed by an excited coo. _Toothless. _Her big, scaly friend was trying to wake her up faster. Her eyes started to flutter open, revealing a blurry black mass hovering above her. The dragon cooed again, then licked her cheek. She smiled and, with great effort, brought her hand up to his snout.

"Hey buddy," she greeted him, her voice rough and weak from disuse. At her voice, Toothless' eyes lit up and he licked her again, and again, and again. A laugh started to build within Hiccup, though she had difficulty voicing it. He kept licking her, getting closer and closer, practically on top of her at this point. She lightly pushed at his head, that soft giggle finally bubbling out. He stepped even closer, only his paw pressed directly on her abdomen.

"Oof!" He completely knocked the wind out of her. She shot straight up, clutching her middle. Once the pain subsided, she opened her eyes and got a better view of her surroundings. Toothless sat in front of her wiggling in excitement, completely unfazed by the discomfort he just caused her. But beyond him, she saw the inside of her house.

"I'm... in my house?" She blinked in realization and looked back at Toothless. "_You're _in my house." Oh no. That wouldn't do. How had he gotten in there in the first place? He would certainly be killed if he was found, right? Unless...

Toothless started bouncing around, unable to contain his utter joy and excitement. "Uhm, does my dad know you're in here?" she asked. Of course, he didn't answer. He continued hopping around the house, knocking things over in the process. He was making a mess. "Toothless! Toothless, stop it!" No good. She sighed and moved to get out of the bed to get him, swinging her legs over the side. "Toothless, oh come-"

She froze.

Toothless hopped down from the beam next to her as she stared down at her legs. Correction; _leg. _There was only one there. She had lost her leg. It was just gone, replaced by a interesting looking prosthetic. She drew a shaky breath, then ran an equally shaky hand through her hair. Her hair. It was short. Way short. And her hands. They were wrapped, almost up to her elbows. They had been burnt, along with her hair. These were minor matters though compared to the metal in place of her leg. Her _leg._

Toothless whimpered slightly and looked at her with a mask of guilt, that same one he wore when her mother's bracelets had fallen off his wrist during a flight. It didn't take her long to figure out what had happened. That pain, that white hot pain that she felt in her leg before everything went black, must have been Toothless. She was falling into the flames, and he caught her in the only way he could. He saved her, for a price.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Despite it all, it was still a huge blow. Her leg was _gone. _Sure, she had a small scar here and there, and being a Viking she expected to get a few more. But this? She had never even imagined this. She never thought she would even make it to the battle lines. Even if she had, she thought her first battle scar would be... smaller.

Her mind automatically filled with the things she had lost or that would become hard. Running, the one thing that she loved so much that she was naturally good at. The chance of her ever learning how to swim. The feeling of her feet in the cold water hanging off the dock. Climbing trees. The list went on.

She shook her head. No. She couldn't dwell on that. Somehow, despite all the odds, she had cheated death. She was alive. That's all that mattered. Right? It's not like she couldn't walk. Right?

She looked at Toothless again, petting his head softly in reassurance. "Its alright, Toothless." It wasn't his fault. Well, it was, but he saved her life. She would take that, along with the friendship of her Night Fury, over a leg any day.

A thought occurred to her, another thing that she couldn't do, making her stop again. Toothless. How... How would they fly? She lost her left leg, the one she used to control his fin.

"You couldn't have grabbed my right leg?" she asked him, a wary smile on her face. He cocked his head curiously. She just sighed and shook her head, petting him again. "You just have to make everything difficult, don't you?"

Designs were already going through her head, picture and thoughts of different saddle and stirrup possibilities. She stopped though, sighing heavily. One thing at a time.

Slowly, every muscle in her body protesting, she managed to stand up, Toothless eyeing her carefully as she did so. At first, she rested all if her weight on her remaining leg. She took a deap breath, preparing herself. She stepped forward. Pain shot up her whole left side. She stumbled a bit, but steadied herself. It wasn't that bad, she tried to convince herself. She could do this. Right? She was going to regardless. Another deep breath. She stepped forward again. This time, he false leg completely collapsed from under her.

She was falling. She raised her arms, preparing for the impact of the floor. But she didn't.

Toothless was right there. He caught on his head and neck, keeping her off the ground. Once again she felt a wave of affection for the dragon pass through her. "Thanks sweetie," she said, planting a kiss on his head. He cooed. She righted herself then, but kept her hands on Toothless, supporting most of her weight on him. Together, the dragon with the missing fin and the girl with the missing leg made their way to the door.

She reached for it, but it opened before she could even touch the doorknob. She stumbled back a bit, startled, but Toothless caught her again. She righted herself once more, then looked up to see an equally startled Ruffnut.

"You're awake," the Viking girl breathed. Suddenly, a wide smile broke out on her face, startling Hiccup even more. "Oh thank the Gods, Hiccup! You're awake!" Then, to completely top off the weirdness of it all, Ruffnut reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug.

She was too shocked to hug back, but Ruff pulled away too quickly for her to react anyway. "Okay," Ruff said quickly. "Stay right here. I'm going to go get Ari and the others. Don't go anywhere!" With that, she ran off, leaving Hiccup in a sea of confusion.

_**~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~**_

Ari hopped off of Freyja with a smile on his face. They had just gotten done with their early morning flight, something that he knew would become a habit of theirs. He pet and scratched her. She leaned in and cooed in response. He voiced various compliments to her, telling her how pretty she was, how strong, her excellent flying skill, and so on. He knew he was just adding to her already vain attitude, but he couldn't help it. He loved spoiling her.

"Okay girl," he told her, patting her in 'goodbye'. "I've got to go look after Hiccup now." The Nadder huffed in disapproval and pressed her snout to his middle. He smirked. "Hey, I'll be back. Hiccup will wake up soon and we can all go flying together." Unbeknownst to him, that time would actually be much sooner than he thought.

Just as he turned to walk away, he heard someone calling out his name. He located the voice, Ruffnut, jogging up to him. "Ari!" she called. "She's awake!"

He wasn't sure he heard her right. "What?" he asked.

She came to a stop in front of him, breathing hard, but with a wide smile on her face. "Hiccup," she breathed. "She's awake."

An unbelievable amount of joy spread through his whole body. His heart soared. The feeling only seemed to grow as he ran with

Ruffnut towards the Haddock house.

Hiccup was awake.

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

Hiccup watched her run away, completely frozen in confusion, until she reached the bottom of the hill. Then, something else caught her eye.

All around her, everywhere she could see in the village, there were dragons. Dragons and Vikings alike. Together. Not fighting. She looked up just as a Nightmare, the Nightmare from the arena, flew by her with Snotlout on her back. And was that... was that a saddle? She watched in awe as he sped by, leading a few more unsteady riders and their dragons through an easy flight pattern. _Flying lessons. _

She couldn't believe it. She was dreaming. Dead. Something. This just didn't make sense. First, Ruffnut being so nice to her, _hugging _her, and then this? Dragons and the Vikings of Berk living in peace? She hadn't even dared wish this in her wildest dreams.

"I knew it," she said dismissively shaking her head. "I'm dead."

A hearty laugh pulled her from her trance. She turned to see her father coming up beside her. "No," he said, "but you gave it yer best shot."

Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked up at her father. He had done it. He had listened to her. Granted, he did so a little late. But now, looking at the world around her, she knew that it was worth it. And now they stood there, father and daughter, looking at the world through similar eyes.

"Daddy..." she managed, her voice broken as she fought the sob in her throat. She half stepped, half fell to him.

He caught her and held her tight against his middle. "Hey there, lass," she heard him say, soft enough for only her ears. He held her for a moment, then pulled back. "Let's have a look at ya." He held her at arms length and looked her over, then nodded in approval, giving her a smile. "Much better. They all took good care of ya, they did." He gestured toward her leg. "How's it feel?"

She shrugged. "It hurts, but I can bear it. I am a tough, bloodthirsty Viking, after all. Pain means nothing to me."

He laughed at that. "Oh, you are many things, Hiccup. Bloodthirsty probably isn't one of them." He did deny the 'tough' part, though, making her smile. "Still," he went on, looking back at her leg, "it was a good call. That Hofferson boy was right to cut below the knee."

Ari? Her head spun. A strange combination of warmth and sadness filled her chest. Ari had... It was him? She wanted to ask more, but didn't get the chance.

"So, what do you think?" her father asked, gesturing over all the village. At this point, people had started noticing her presence and were crowding around. "Turns out, all we needed was a little more of... this."

She smiled. "You just gestured to all of me."

"Well," Gobber cut in, stepping up beside Stoick, "most of ya. That bit's my handy work, with the help of tha' boy of yers." Once again, Ari was mentioned. He had been a part of a lot of things while she was sleeping, apparently. She fought against the blush forming for fear of being teased. How did they know about them, anyway? Had they seen something? Maybe Ari said something?

She doubted that, but he had probably done something to clue them in, intentional or not. Though Ari wasn't much one to talk, his actions spoke volumes.

Again, she had questions, but again she didn't get a chance to voice them. Gobber gestured toward her her prosthetic. "Think it will do?" he asked.

She glanced down and examined it. It was pretty impressive, unlike any other prosthetic she had seen. She shrugged, but she was smiling. "Eh, I may make a few tweeks." There were deep chuckles around them. She reached out and grabbed him, hugging the large Viking tightly. "Thank you, Goober."

He pat her back and welcomed her. She pulled away, suddenly distracted by a noise in the crowd. She turned just as the teens made their way to the front of the crowd. And then there he was, standing just a few feet away.

Ari was staring at her with that look again, that level of intensity that made her whole body tense yet melted her at the same time. He was breathing pretty heavily, giving her the clue that he ran there. He ran to her as soon as he heard. Her heart soared.

Everything and everyone else seemed to fade away as he stepped closer to her. "Hey," he spoke softly.

"Hi." Was that all she could come up with? Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She couldn't get her thoughts together. All that she could process was that he was right there, standing in front of her, just inches away.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but suddenly the moment was broken as he lightly punched her arm. She looked up at his smirking features, startled. "That's for scaring me," he said.

She glared at him in disbelief and a hint of amusement. Then she started rambling, his close proximity making her nerves higher than ever. "What? Is it always going to be this way? Ruin the moment by punching the girl? And sure, go ahead, punch the injured hero. That'll sure help-"

"Hiccup," he said firmly, stopping her. He didn't need to. The words died on her lips as he cupped her face in his hands. "Shut up." With that, he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against hers. She gripped the fabric at his torso and kissed him back. Funny. Many people had told her to shut up before. Ari never had. This was his first time. But this time she found, as his lips moved against hers, that she didn't mind it so much. In fact, he could tell her to shut up as much as he wanted.

There were several catcalls around them, along with a bark of disapproval from Stoick. They broke away, laughing as they did so. They look at her father to find him being held back by a laughing Gobber and Healer. Stoick just shook his head, refusing to look at them, though a small smile could be seen hidden under her whiskers.

A pointedly loud cough was heard at their other side. They turned to see the rest of the teens standing there, excited smiles on their faces. Ari's smile matched theirs as he pulled away from her. "We have a surprise for you," he said.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Snotlout couldn't contain himself any longer. Practically bouncing, he reached behind them and pulled out Toothless' and Hiccup's new and improved riding gear with the help of the others. "Look!" he cried excitedly. "It's a new saddle and stuff! I made the fin! See? It's all red and Viking-like!"

Hiccup stroked the leather softly. "You guys... you made this for me?" She looked up to meet each of their eyes, tears filling them up again.

"Well, duh," scoffed Tuffnut. "Your other one was completely busted so-"

"You deserve it," Ruffnut cut him off. "It was the least we could do."

"We modified it to work with you prosthetic," Fishlegs added. "Based on all the designs, it should work. There's really only one way to test it, though."

Hiccup smiled at them all gratefully. "Thanks, you guys," she said. "Really." They either nodded or shrugged, mumbling modest welcomes.

Ari caught her eyes again. "Want to try it out?"

She sighed happily. Being up in the air sounded like the best thing in the world right then. "More than anything."

As if on cue, a whistle was heard behind the crowd. The crowd responded automatically, crouching and bracing themselves, looking around. "Night Fury!" "Get down!" Hiccup laughed as the scene played out in front of her. Before when people said that, they meant in in a way that was to warn you to fear for your life. Now though, it was meant in a completely different way. Toothless, not appreciating getting pushed aside by the crowd, jumped on top of the wall of Vikings, knocking them over as he climbed on them to get to the middle of the circle. He landed in front of Hiccup, looking pleased with himself.

They were all laughing again. She pet his snout. "You ready to fly, buddy?" He hummed in response.

It didn't take long to get the gear on. It fit perfectly. She latched her prosthetic in, testing out the fin a bit. It worked just as well, if not better, than the old one. Her friends had taken great care to make it perfect.

They all mounted their dragons, ready for take off. "Come on!" Snoutlout called, excited and impatient at the same time. "Let's go!"

With that, him, Ruff and Tuff, and Fishlegs launched into the air. Ari stayed next to her, looking down to her from atop Freyja, smiling mischievously.

"Race you," he challenged. Then, with two clicks of his tongue, the pair were up in the air.

"Oh," Hiccup breathed as she watched them climb. "You are _so _on." She clicked the stirrup. In response, Toothless shot up in the air. They chased the boy and his Nadder, laughing and spinning into the blue sky.

**_~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

They landed in the cove sometime later. Though not having flown very long, already Hiccup was exhausted. Being unconscious for over a week really takes it's toll on you, she figured.

She eased off Toothless' back with a sigh, focusing her weight on her right leg. She winced at even the slightest pressure on her prosthetic. The Healer informed her before they left that it would take time to get used to, but the pain would lessen eventually. Flying certainly didn't help, but there was no way she was going to stop doing that.

Toothless eyed her worriedly, whining softly. "I'm alright buddy," she assured him, patting his head. He remained unconvinced and moved closer, pressing his side to her. She leaned against him, grateful for the support.

A shadow passed over them, signaling Ari and Freyja's arrival. They landed not far to the left of them. Ari dismounted with ease. It looked so natural, so right, the two of them together. She could tell he had been practicing.

He made his way over to her, Freyja in tow. Her heart automatically started beating faster, watching that ridiculously gorgeous boy approach her. She still couldn't quite believe it. Somehow, she had escaped death. She had saved everyone. She changed their lives. And now, they were alive, free, and together.

He stopped just a foot in front of her. "Tired?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

She sighed. "Yes," she admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "We haven't even been flying that long and I feel like I could fall over right here."

He nodded. "It will take some time to heal," he said, the same as the Healer. Suddenly, a mischievous glint entered his eyes. Wordlessly, he bent over and scooped her up.

She laughed as he carried her away. "And just where are you taking me?"

"You need a break," he told her. "I'm just being chivalrous."

"Likely story," she said as he set her down on a boulder.

He leaned forward, setting his hands on the boulder on either side of her. Their faces almost level, she looked up at him, a hint of a blush forming at the sudden closeness. "I missed that," he said softly, "the color in your cheeks." He brought a hand up and stroked one of them with his fingers. "You were so pale... I thought... I was afraid you were going to die."

She brought her hands up and gripped his shoulders. "But I didn't," she said just as soft. "I'm right here."

She could feel him shudder slightly. "Please," he begged, "don't do that again."

She raised an eyebrow. "What? Almost die? We're Vikings. It's kind of an occupational hazard."

He shook his head, then locked her eyes. She could see tears forming in his. "I wish it weren't. I don't think I could bare it."

She shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to keep saving me, then."

He held her gaze for another moment, then his eyes trained down to her lips. Slowly, he started to move in.

Her grip on his shoulders tightened. "Easy, Mr. Hofferson," she stopped him, the corners of her mouth turning up. "You didn't think I was going to let you off so easy for earlier, did you?"

He furled his eyebrows in confusion. "For kissing you?"

"You kissed me in front of everyone," she chided playfully, "in front of my _father_. You know, traditionally, there's supposed to be this whole process, involving talking with my father first, then discussing arrangements..."

"I thought you weren't really one for tradition," he replied matter-of-factly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Touchè"

They shared a smile, then he leaned in again. She closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to touch hers. But they didn't. He stopped, teasingly, an inch away. She opened her eyes half way to meet his gazing at her lazily, a glint in them.

"Are you afraid of me, Hiccup?" he asked

_"Are you afraid of me?" _

She remembered when he first asked her that, back when they first started talking and he wanted to know why she always thought he was insulting her. She had been, in a way, back then. She had never known exactly what to think of him. For years, but especially after that kiss under the mistletoe, he had confused her. But now, everything was different. Now, they understood one another. Now, they had come to care a lot about each other. Now, she couldn't imagine life without him.

_"Are you afraid of me?"_

She thought of her hands, how every time they came in such close physical contact they would grip him hard, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to keep him there or push him away. Was she afraid? Yes, but that was faint. Would she push him away? Not a chance.

She felt a sudden urge, a _need. _She needed to pull him close. She needed to kiss him. She needed to feel his lips against hers. He had to know, and she knew just how to tell him.

_"Are you afraid?"_

In answer, she breathed, "Terrified," then closed the gap.

The kiss was urgent, deep, like the one they shared on Freyja just before she dropped down to help Toothless. Except this one, instead of saying 'goodbye', said 'hello', 'I missed you', and 'you're mine' all at the same time. Her chest practically ached at the feeling she got from it. This boy had such an effect on her, but again she found that she didn't mind it so much. She felt lightheaded at the lack of air, but didn't pull away. In fact, she would have been happy to stay like that with him forever had his knee not accidently pressed against her left leg.

She pulled back with a wince. "Sorry," they both said at the same time.

They met eyes. "Why are you sorry?" Ari asked. She didn't get a chance to respond. "_I'm_ the one that hurt _you_." He looked almost angry, but not at her. At himself.

She frowned at his sudden change of mood. "Hey," she said softly as he dropped his head with a sigh. "What's wrong?" His shoulders were tense. When he didn't respond, she craned her head to try and look at him. It worked. They met eyes. She blinked at his. He looked... _guilty. _"Ari, it's no big deal. You just bumped-" she stopped though, realizing it was much more that that. "Oh." Her leg. Her father had let it slip that Ari had done it.

He sighed and turned, shifting to sit next to her. "So you know."

She nodded, answering carefully, "Yes."

He dropped his head in his hands, running his hands through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup."

Despite it all, she cracked a smile. "I'm not." He dropped his hands and turned his head to look at her. She could tell he already knew that she would forgive him. Others had probably told him that, too. But there was a look in his eye, desperate, begging her to tell him herself.

So she did. "I don't need to be a Healer to know about blood loss and infection. I know that you wouldn't have done it unless it was the only option, and you would do it without hesitation if you knew it would save me." She placed a hand on his face, bringing his eyes up to her level. He leaned into her touch. "Do you get that? I mean, don't get me wrong, it sucks. But you _saved _me. You and Toothless both. I'd take my life with you two over my leg any day." She kissed him then, soft and sweet. "Thank you for being there for me when I needed you."

His hard shell began to crack. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "Gladly," he said. He brought a hand up, pushing some of her hair away. "I held you through the night, you know. Right after. You were cold so... I helped keep you warm."

"Really? I believe I did that for you once. Looks like your debt has been repaid."

He shook his head. "No."

She raised an amused eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

He shrugged. "I like being in debt to you too much."

She smiled and opened her mouth to make a witty reply, but that's when she noticed his own bandages. She took his hand in both of hers. "Did you get hurt in battle too?"

When he didn't respond she looked up at him. He looked guilty again, but not to the same degree. He scratched the back of his head, confessing to her sheepishly, "Actually, that and my arm were the result of a 'sleep deprived rage' as Tuffnut put it. I kind of lost it after everything. Didn't sleep for a couple of days, killed some trees, made a mess of Gobber's shop..."

She raised her eyebrows. "The trees I understand. But Gobber's shop?"

He shrugged. "I was trying to make you a prosthetic without any help. I burnt myself pretty bad. Everyone calmed me down after that though. I passed out on your cot." He sighed. "I was really messed up."

She thought about this for a moment. She wasn't mad. Not at all. If fact, she was sad for a moment, knowing that he had to go through all that. But then, she smiled. She remembered her earlier conclusion, about how Ari's actions spoke volumes. Yes, he had gone through all that. But all of that showed just how much it messed him up inside to do that to her. It showed just how much he cared about her. This, she guess, was probably what clued people in on their, for lack of a better word, 'situation'. Once again though, she found that she didn't mind one bit.

She decided to be bold. She shifted, lifting herself of the boulder and placing herself in his lap. he raised an eyebrow, but didn't complain as he rested his hands on her waist. She rested her own on his shoulders again.

"So," she said softly, teasingly, "you're saying I mess with your head?"

He gave a soft groan in response. "You have no idea."

A wide smile had spread on her face, a giddy feeling coming with it. It was thrilling, knowing that she had that kind of effect on him as well. Also, to know that he was just as easily teased. She could really have fun with that.

She moved closer to him, bringing her lips just an inch from his own. "Can you give me a hint?"

"Gladly."

There lips had just barely touched when they were disrupted. "You should really feed that thing," Ari joked as they both looked down at her growling stomach. "Before it eats you. Come on." He stood up, helping her get steady as well, and called Freyja. He flashed her and smirk. "I'll race you."

She scoffed. "Do you like losing or something?"

A glint entered his eye. "Who said anything about losing?" With that, he ran to his dragon.

"Hey!" she called, hobbling after him toward Toothless. "That's cheating!"

_**~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

Hiccup spent the rest of the day like that, Toothless and Ari at her side. She ate in the Mead Hall at the same table as everyone else. She laid out in a meadow with Ari on one side and Toothless on the other. They flew some more. She sat around the fire with her friends at dusk. Overall, it was a very relaxing day. So why was she so tired?

It was only a half hour after dusk, but she was having a harder and harder time opening them each time they closed. She was falling asleep. She needed to get home before she started saying stupid things again.

Luckily, Ari noticed her deteriorating state and was quick to usher her home to bed. The others called out teasing words and catcalls at they walked away, but Ari just waved them off.

At first, Hiccup tried walking on her own. But it hurt, and it was clear that being tired with a prosthetic leg made her even more clumsy. Then, Ari and Toothless had a little debate over who would carry her. Somehow, though she was too tired to pay attention, it ended up that Ari would carry her, but on his back, like Toothless would have.

She sighed against his neck as he carried her across the village towards her house. She could have just fallen asleep right there...

"I shouldn't have kept you out so late," Ari scolded himself. "You're still recovering. You need rest."

She yawned. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Just need some rest..." Ari shook his head.

They made it to the Haddock house. He set her down gently, then turned to face her. He brought his hand up and stroked her cheek softly, then leaned in and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Hiccup," he whispered in her ear. "Sleep well."

He left then. She stood there for a moment, watching him walk away, a small smile on her face, then walked inside.

She was still stumbling, still exhausted with a bad leg. But Toothless was there this time, giving her support. She walked deeper into the room, spotting her father at the hearth.

"Hi daddy," she greeted him.

He gave her a smile. "Off to bed?"

She nodded, but then stumbled. Toothless caught her. They were at the stairs now, and she stared up at them with a sigh. "If, you know, I can make it up there without killing myself."

Stoick moved toward her then. "Here," he said, going to pick her up. "I'll help." Everyone was picking her up today, weren't they? But once again, she kind of liked it. It reminded her of when she was little and she would fall asleep downstairs. He used to carry her to bed a lot.

"Thank you, daddy," she said as he set her down on the bed. She looked down at her prosthetic. "I should probably take this off, huh?" She moved to do so.

"I'll do it," her father stopped her.

She let him after a moment of protesting. It ended up being a good idea, though. He removed the thing with ease and great care. She could tell someone had taught him. Though she was very capable of doing these things herself, he had made it a point to learn to do them for her. He was taking care of her.

She winced as he finally slipped the thing off. It felt better after a moment though. She gingerly rubbed the wrapped area, willing the pulsing sensation to go away.

Her father spoke again. "I don't want you pushing yerself too much. If it starts hurting, just stop. Make that boy or that beast take you home." There was a soft growl beside them from the black mass that had made himself comfortable on the bed, but Stoick ignored him. "It will take some time to heal so, give it a couple of weeks."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, you know. You don't have to take care of me so much."

"Yes I do," he said firmly, stopping her. They met eyes. His were brimming with tears. "I never really have before. Not for nine years, since yer mother died."

Hiccup stayed frozen in place. First, she had never seen this man cry. She thought impossible. Second, he was talking of mother again. They never talked of mother, with the exception of him giving her the breast hat. No, this was a completely different side of her father that she had never seen before, that had been locked away for nearly a decade.

He went on. "She wouldn't be too proud of me if she were here. This..." he gestured to her leg, "is my fault. If only I had listened-"

She stopped him. "Stop, please. I can't take anymore of people blaming themselves." She pointed at Toothless. "First of all, this was all his fault." Toothless huffed, offended. She scratched behind his ear to sooth him. "Second, you're focusing on all the bad stuff. Sure, I mean, we had our misunderstandings, our lack of communication. Sure, I lost my leg." She smiled as Toothless leaned into her hand. "But look at what we got in return. Peace with the dragons. I'd say our winnings far outweigh our losses." She looked at him again, startled to see that a few tears had fallen down the great man's face, but she went on. "You took care of me in the best way you thought was right. It's hard to do any different when you aren't aware of a second option."

He shook his head slightly. He reached up and brushed some of her hair away. "You're just like her, you know." She blinked. They were back on her mother again. "She used to have such an understanding of the world, just like you. She saw things that no one else did. Just like you. Every time I look at you, everytime I look into your green eyes, her green eyes, I see her."

Tears had started to fall down her face as well. She didn't know much of her mother. All she knew were blurry memories of when she was a small child. This... This was more than she could ever hope for.

He laughed then, softly. "Do you remember how she used to talk about dragons? Everyone thought she was crazy. She used to say how it was such a shame that we had to fight them. Then she would ask if we could imagine what it would be like to fly with them." He eyed the beads on Toothless' wrist, her mother's beads. "If only she could see you know." He looked back up at her. "She would be so proud of you, Hiccup. Just as I am."

She was full on crying at this point. He had told her he was proud of her before, but that had been when he thought she was a star dragon fighter. But now, knowing that she went against everything they believed in, sided with dragons and everything, he was still proud of her. Even more so than he had been before. He finally saw her for who she really was, and he was proud to call her his daughter.

She brought her bandaged arm up to wipe her tears away. "Thank you, daddy," she managed. He nodded, then leaned forward and kissed her head softly. He pushed her lightly back onto the bed.

"Rest now," he told her. "Something tells me yer in fer a long day of flyin' tomorrow." He pulled a fur over her, then turned to walk out. As he did, he warned, "And if that beast of yers makes am mess in there even once, he sleeps outside."

Toothless huffed, once again offended, and wrapped his tail around the girl. Hiccup laughed, patting his head. "Goodnight, daddy."

He stopped at the door and looked at her once more, a soft smile on her face. "Goodnight, Hiccup."

With that, the world at peace, Ari in her heart, her relationship with her father better than ever, and her scaly friend sleeping beside her, Hiccup fell into the best sleep she ever had.

**_~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~_**

When Hiccup next woke, just for a moment, she thought it had all been a dream. But then she hear the tell tale yawn of her Night Fury and smiled. No, it hadn't been a dream. If it was, it hadn't ended yet, and she never wanted it to.

She stretched. Toothless, noticing her awakening, tried to help her along by licking her face. She laughed softly and pushed at his head. "I don't know why you think licking is the answer to everything, but I promise, it's not."

In response to that, Toothless wrapped his legs and wings around her, then rolled, cooing and humming. They rolled off the bed and onto the floor, making their way around the room and back. After some laughing and playful scolding, he finally let her go.

"Great," she said, sitting up, "now my leg is on the other side of the room." At that, Toothless stood and made his way over to the prosthetic, grabbing it, and brought it over to her. She pet him in return. "Thanks sweetie."

It took a moment to get the thing on. For one, it hurt. She also had to figure out exactly how it strapped on, but she got it quick. When she was done, she turned to see that Toothless had moved to the window, opening it, and was looking outside. She could see, too. It was still pretty early, but there were a few dragons out flying, some with riders. Toothless hummed at the sight.

"You want to go fly, boy?" she asked him. He cooed excitedly in response.

He helped her downstairs. She said good morning and goodbye to her father sitting at the table, who told her to be safe in return. With that, they were out the door.

Her chest warmed and a smile grew on her face as she stepped outside. There, Ari was standing with Freyja, adjusting her saddle. He was waiting for her. When he saw her, his eyes brightened up and he gave her a smile.

"Good morning," he greeted her as he stepped closer. He bent down and gave her a soft, sweet kiss. "You ready to fly?"

Flying sounded like the best thing in the world right then. Funny though. About six weeks ago it had been the furthest thing from her mind. It was stupid and crazy to think of such things. Come to think of it, it was still stupid and crazy. But it was right. She took a moment, looking out over her village. So much had changed. The Vikings there used to kill dragons. Now, they rode them, and it was all because of her. The most sorry excuse for a Viking had managed to flip their world upside down. The girl that couldn't kill a dragon killed the biggest one ever, and saved all the others. The girl that was always messing up their world saved it. The girl that they all thought would never amount to much went higher than any of them had gone before, and on the back of a Night Fury. And that's right where she wanted to be, up in the sky.

She smiled as their friends flew over them, ushering them to join. Toothless wiggled excitedly at her side. "Yeah," she answered as she turned back to Ari. "Let's fly."

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~**_

_**And there you have it! I would have more closing words, but I am falling asleep here... there will be an awesome authors note at the end of the epilogue, swears. **_

_**But before I pass out, a quick quote from 'In the Eye of a Pirate'! This one comes from... Hiccup!**_

_**"I love you, too."**_

_**Until Monday!**_

_**~StoriesOfAnInsomniac**_


	24. Epilogue

**_Good morning/Evening!_**

**_Here it is guys... The Epilogue... Wow, what a ride! Thanks for being there the whole time. You people are just amazing. :)_**

**_Any closing comments or questions, be sure to post them! I accept them all, upbuilding or constructive. :)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Hiccup moved the charcoal slowly across the page with the careful and precise hand of an artist. She had to get this perfect.

Toothless hummed at her side, stretching out and basking in the sunlight. It was full on summer now. All fur had been shed. The days were long. The sun was bright. Perfect weather for flying, and lazy afternoons. That particular afternoon was one of them.

She smiled at her Night Fury and stretched as well, then repositioned her prosthetic to stretch out in front of her, her right leg still tucked in. She rubbed the area tenderly, willing the soreness to go away. It was pretty much fully healed, which was apparently remarkable considering how little time had passed. The only explanation was that Toothless had licked her wound regularly. That, they had found, made dragon inflicted injuries heal faster, which Ari had informed her was 'cheating'.

She was still getting used to it. Sometimes she forgot it was there and woke up in the morning freaking out over why her leg was missing, though it was happening less often. It hurt too, but the pain was also lessening as the days passed. She was even able to make it through the entire ceremony without wincing or falling over.

About a week after she woke up, the Tribe held a Hero's Ceremony for her, her friends, and their dragons. Not only was it a mark of their bravery and heroic acts, but it was a recognition of the changes in their world, a celebration of such.

It took place in the village centre, the Great Hall not being big enough to hold both the Vikings and the Dragons. A podium had been set up, and the teens kneeled on them, their dragons behind them. They all wore ceremonial crowns made of the golden flowers that grew on the island that the Elder had placed on them, their dragons included. The Chief made his way through each of them.

First, the Chief would commend their bravery and place a cloak over their shoulders, one made of fur or thick, colorful fabric. Then, he would take a weapon, a new one that had been made just for them, touch it to each shoulder, and then give it to them to sheath. This was a pretty big deal, considering how a Viking's first cloak and specialized weapon was earned at their coming of age ceremony, and none of them had gone through that yet. In this instance, it was decided that the teens own weapons would be used, the specialized ones saved for their own ceremonies. Still, this was a momentous occasion.

Stoick the Vast made his way through Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins, commending them all on their bravery. Next, he approached Ari.

The Chief was handed a stunning blue cloak that almost exactly matched the shade of the boy's eyes. The color of bravery and honor. He draped it over Ari's shoulders, latching it to the side.

"Ari Hofferson," he began. Ari stance was flawless, head bowed in respect, just as a young Viking ought to look. Hiccup was the only one that could see the tension in his shoulders, the tightness of his jaw. He was still upset, despite her best efforts to assure him that everything would be fine.

He had shared with her the situation he'd had with his battle axe. He had used that axe to cut off her leg. She new that, deep down inside, he would always feel slight guilt for it. But she made sure he knew it was ridiculous that he wouldn't use the axe again. It saved her life. If anything, he should carry it proudly. When he went to retrieve it from the tree in the forest he'd left it in, however, it was no where to be found. They hadn't a clue what could have happened to it.

Hiccup told him she would make him a new one, considering that she would probably be the one to make all the teen's ceremony weapons anyway, but he was still disappointed. His mother suggested using his father's battle sword. It was a beautiful weapon, and would be an honor to be recognized by, even though it wasn't his own.

The Chief continued. "Even from a young age, you've proved yourself strong and brave. You proved that again in the battle with the Monster. You fought side by side with your future leader faithfully, despite the opposition that came from all others in the Tribe."

Stoick was handed a weapon, which he then touched to each of his shoulders. Ari blinked in surprise, looking up at the great man and the weapon in his hand. It was his axe. Shined, sharpened, and now, etched into the blade, the marks of bravery and strength.

"The Battle Axe," the Chief told him, "is not only a weapon of power and strength, but one of precision and accuracy as well. It can kill. It can save lives." He made a pointed glance at Hiccup. "It requires a well trained eye and skill to execute the throw. When your target is chosen, you strike true." He handed the axe to Ari. "Just as you do with your axe, you do so in life. Despite all tradition and the Viking way of life, when you were shown the right way, you threw yourself and fought without hesitation. When you, Ari Hofferson, have seen your target, you throw with all your heart."

Just as with the others, the crowd cheered. Despite it all, Ari looked like he was going to cry. He was positively beaming, though, behind the pools in his eyes. He flashed his eyes toward Hiccup, hints of a smile at the corners of his mouth. She returned this wholeheartedly. Then it was her turn.

Her father approached her as the crowd quieted. No one wanted to miss the speech the Chief had for his daughter, the Heir of the Tribe, and the true hero of Berk.

He draped a black cloak over her shoulders. It was beautiful. A thick material that matched the midnight shade of Toothless' scales perfectly. And sewn into the back, the new crest of Berk in silver. No longer a dragon with a blade through it's gut, but a dragon riding free, a rider on it's back.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock." She smiled at her ridiculous name, then, instead of keeping her head bowed, looked up and met her father's eyes. "When you came into this world, it was clear to all that you were different. Life was hard for you. We as Vikings were not so easily accepting of anything outside our understanding. But you knew that. You saw why we were the way we were, and you saw why we were wrong."

He pulled out her short sword, also newly shined and sharpened, now with the designs of a dragon on the hilt. He touched it to each of her shoulders. "The short sword is the most underestimated of weapons. Most think that it can be easily overpowered and dismiss it, going with a larger, more widely accepted weapon. But when in the hands of a master, the sword can win, not out of strength, but with strategy and sight. It can slip right past the larger weapon and strike you right in the heart."

He handed her the weapon. "You, Hiccup, were greatly underestimated. But with your eyes you saw what no one else present or before you had even dared explore. You dared look into the eyes of the most feared beast known to Vikings. You dared go against all our tradition and understanding because of what you saw in him. And then, when nearly all had turned their back on you, banished and disowned you, you went head first into battle to save the Vikings that left you and the enemies of such. With the help of your dragon companion, you conquered the dragon a thousand times the might of any other." He gestured toward her leg. "You did so at a price. You gave a part of yourself for us and our world, and you did so willingly. You had to, to tame our hearts and show us the truth." He smiled at her. "You had too, because you're a Viking. Now, you've proved yourself a greater Viking than all of us, one that will be remembered for generations to come. Hundreds of years from now, stories will be told of the girl that tamed the dragon within the Viking, and the eyes of the dragon himself."

He gestured his hand toward her, motioning her to stand. "Rise, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe." She did with his help, steadying herself on her prosthetic. He turned her toward the crowd. "And may I introduce to all: Hiccup, the Dragon Conqueror!"

The cheer of the crowd was deafening, making it hard to process what her father had just said. Hiccup the Dragon Conqueror. She had just been given her title. The title of  
a Viking. But, this wasn't her ceremony. She wasn't supposed to get one until then. It was against tradition. Then again, she thought as her father raised her arm in the air, tradition was becoming a thing of the past.

It was a great day. Even now, a few weeks later, she could remember it vividly, though the evening was a bit blurry due to the mead. She smiled at the memories.

Her picture was almost complete. Good thing, because she could hear Ari and Freyja coming towards them. He sat on the ground right behind her, his legs outstretched against hers, wrapping his arms around her middle, his large frame completely enveloping her small one.

"What're you working on?" he asked, his breath tickling her ear.

She smiled again. His closeness was another thing she had gotten used to over the past few weeks. Funny how two months ago the only time they ever touched was when he was shielding her from fire or escorting her home. Now, they were completely comfortable with one another's presence. In fact, it was one of her favorite things, cuddling or napping in the meadow or under the stars.

She leaned into him, pressing her back against his chest. "A drawing," she replied, being vague as ever.

She could feel him roll his eyes. Rather than responding, his hand came up and gently took hers in it, moving it and the pencil out of the way. What it revealed made him smile.

It was them, all of them and their dragons. Fishlegs and Meatlug. Snotlout and Inferno. The twins and Doppelgänger, Twit the Terror on Tuffnut's shoulder. Himself and Freyja. And then there was Hiccup, right along side with Toothless. Out of all the pictures Hiccup had drawn, before this one she had never drawn one with herself in it. But now there she was, right along side everyone else, and it looked right. It looked perfect.

"I love it," he said. "It's perfect."

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, I don't know about perfect. It's just a sketch."

He shook his head. "Anything with you in it is perfect in my book."

She closed her sketchbook with a 'slap', turning to face him with an amused smile. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

He shrugged, smirking. "Well, I don't know about nowhere..." With that, he placed a sweet kiss on her lips. She complied without protest.

"Come on," he said when the broke away. "The others are waiting for us."

They both stood, him helping her up, and made their way to their dragons. Freyja was already ready. Toothless, however, was a different story. He laid on his back, stomach upturned soaking up the sun rays, looking completely content and unwilling to move. It took some coaxing, petting, and finally some pushing and threats of no more Icelandic Cod before he finally got up.

"Useless reptile," Hiccup mumbled as he lazily got up. He huffed. She pet him affectionately.

"Hey," Ari said as they mounted. She had just latched her prosthetic into the stirrup. He gestured at it, then the prosthetic fin on the left side of Toothless' tail. "You guys match."

Hiccup looked from her leg to the fin. Funny how no one had noticed it for almost a month. They did match, both missing parts of them on the left side. Him his fin, her her leg. Thinking about it though, the comparison went much deeper than that.

Her mind was brought back to two months before. She had shot Toothless down, injuring him in the process. His left fin was gone, crippling him and making it impossible to fly on his own. Hiccup had fixed it though. That's how their beautiful friendship began. They flew together, her riding on a saddle that could control his flight. They worked together as one.

That's all they were willing to do from then on. Even when she had given him the option, he didn't want to fly without her, and she couldn't stay away from him and the sky.

And then her leg. About a month ago, she lost it in the battle of the Monster. She had fallen off the saddle, but Toothless saved her. He dug his teeth deep into her calf, effectively grabbing her and pulling her into the safety of his wings, but also condemning her to the loss of her leg. He had saved her, for a price. Really, both his fin and her leg had been the price to save the world.

She looked into the Night Fury's eyes. Instead of the fear she had seen when she first ever looked at him, she saw happiness. Hers, she was sure, reflected the same emotion. He didn't mind the missing fin. Neither did she mind the missing leg. They both agreed that it was worth it.

And now they were together. She looked at her Night Fury and saw the same connection she felt. They needed each other. Not just in flying and moving around, but emotionally as well. Some how, the fates had brought them together and showed them that they were really of one mind, bound for life. She looked at Toothless, and she saw herself.

"Yeah," she responded, petting the Night Fury's head. "We do."

**_~~~~~~~~a sexy line~~~~~~~~~_**

**_There you have it folks! The story is officially over!_**

**_I hoped you guys liked it... I can tell a lot of you did, anyway. Almost 200 reviews, like 70 follows, 60 favs, and 15,000 views! You guys rock. :)_**

**_So, next story... In the Eye of a Pirate! Who's excited?! :D it is going to be amazing. I hate to do this to you guys, but first post is going to be April 15th. I'm going to finish off spring break, get situated back in my last quarter of school, then get ahead on chapters. Trust me, it's better this way. I'm sorry though... :(_**

**_If you have any closing thoughts or comments, be sure to let me know! I love knowing what people think. :)_**

**_Be sure to keep an eye out for the next part! To hold you over until then, though, here is a quote! This one comes from... Hiccup!_**

**_"I hate Pirates..."_**

**_That's all guys. Once again, lots of love, and thanks for joining me on this adventure!_**

**_~StoriesOfAnInsomniac_**


	25. Special Thanks To

_**Hey guys!**_

_**So, I posted the first chapter in 'In the Eye of a Pirate' today, and in doing so I realized that I neglected to express my many thanks... So, without further ado, here they are. :)**_

_**Special thanks to Swedish House Mafia, Krewella, Calvin Harris, Ellie Golding, P!nk, and Boyce Avenue for providing the soundtrack. Their music created the mood I needed to write many a chapter.**_

_**Also, to my faithful followers: 1writer38, Alexzander95, AliceofDeath, Alternative Angel, AnimeHuntress, Ari-Azadeth, Cory Rye Solomon, DEnchilada, ElmoDaHorse, FrancesAnnPerez, GD12, Insanely Irish, Ironinkpen, Izzybell, Lighty 7, Lost My Muse, Luminesyra, MarvellouslyWondrous, MasterofThreeSmiles, Megadracosaurus, MirandaNaranjo11, Nevergonnafitin, Nobody95, Okami1001, Oluhasuu, Pirates VS Ninjas, PowerToThePeople23, Princesakarlita411, QuirkyRevelations, Royal Lady, Saphirabrightscale, ShroudedInMist, Solum Ambulmantem, Songs of Sorrow, Spottedmask12, TheCinephile, Yoshi-Strange, Allen niichan, cerise-spiree, garkeglie555, , fairegirl22, fariegirl2468, fallenflames, followingmydreams123, foxmage, girlwithface123, happydreamer, i'mdakotaATnight, iRockJuzb'Coz, iluvreading, , kricV5, latinagirl-reader2010, mistyElk0, mylyricsaremylife, necromancer king, pandamo, prince of the divine wolf, prophet411, rebecca1516, ryu k4g3, saberstorm, vipir947, and xXNeverEndingDreamXx.**_

_**To those who favoreted my story: 1writer38, AliceofDeath, ArabianDragon, , CrazyTomboy679, Cyclone20, DEnchilada, DaughterOfTheSea1, Death's Silent Approach, Demon Hound, Draca Fireclaw, ElmoDaHorse, FirePupXFlameKitten-4EverBond, FrancesAnnPerez, Georuler, GothicRoseNinja, Harmonious Wolf, Ironinkpen, Jevinators, KarinMaaka07, KarissaLaDow, KitsuneTurner, Lighty 7, Lost My Muse, Luminesyra, M2H, MarvellouslyWondrous, Megadracosaurus, Midnight-Dawn-Morning-Star, MirandaNaranjo11, Oluhasuu, OrangeLamb, Pirates VS Ninjas, PowerToThePeople23, QuirkyRevelations, ReadingGurl07, RedEvergreen, Renting, Reoka, RomanticManiac, RonnieRavello, Saphirabrightscale, ShroudedInMist, Songs of Sorrow, Spottedmask12, Uriel7, XionDemon, Yoshi-Strange, Yukko-GP, Zania330, allen niichan, dodgerbolts, , fariegirl2468, followingmydreams123, i'mdakotaATnight, iRockJuzb'Coz, jamiep6, kricV5, matty1305, mistyElk0, mylyricsaremylife, prince of the divine wolf, rebecca1516, saberstorm, snowowl94, and xXNeverEndingDreamXx.**_

_**And to all of you who reviewed. You guys are AMAZING. Thank you all soooooooo much!**_

_**I just posted the first chapter today, so go ahead and check it out! Pirates and dragons and sword fights, oh my! :D**_

_**Thanks again for the amazing ride, guys. **_

_**~StoiresOfAnInsomniac**_


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